Team Orders (WSBK Spoiler)

Despite team orders, Loris Baz held his second place in race-1, behind Guintoli, leaving Sykes in 3rd.

Promoting Skyes to 2nd, giving him an extra 5pts would've meant that he simply needed to follow Guintoli home to win the title.

Instead, race-2 victor of the pair would be champion, which considering how good Guinters and the RSV package was at Losail, was considerably harder for Sykes.

So, ignoring team orders. What to say? Good or a bad thing by Baz

The team employs the rider, so I think the rider has to be a team player.

Also, why would a rider knowingly threaten the success of his team, at the last round of the season. This aspect irks me the most. Bad show IMHO

Anyhow, with a couple of laps left, a rather dejected Sykes dropped from his title loosing 2nd position to 3rd, but this made little difference to the result.

Team orders while perfectly legal, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It should be all about the rider. Plus it make the race look like a farce. When on guys has to practically pull over to let the other guy win I stop watching.

At least when watching moto3, Kent helped by fighting and doing his best.

Yeah, its a fine line for sure.

It feels "staged" when you see a guy taking one for the team, kinda under duress.

I don't know, this just came across as a guy who was leaving the WSBK paddock for 2015..... he knew what he was doing

So. Baz didn't listen to the team. Neither did Marco in the 2nd race at Marny-Cors. You shouldnt slow down for another rider to gain a spot. I love raceing because you are either better, or you loose.

I hate it. Aprilia asked Melandri 3 times this year to back down for Gunt. He did twice and that is the only reason gunt. Was in the position to win it. Baz should have, knowing aprilia was playing favs but all in all it should be illegal again. They(commentators) said "had no team orders went out this year the result would have been".

1. Sykes (champ)
2. Gunt
3. Rea

Sykes would have won by 9 points in 3rd yesterday. Gunt wasnt the best rider. Make it illegal again

I agree, they should have a regulation against teams "fixing" the results of a race by singling riders during a race and asking them to alter their position. If it's worked out ahead of time before the race in the paddock, fine, but not during the race with signals on the pit board, it's just poor form and the fans hate it!

jarelj said:

I agree, they should have a regulation against teams "fixing" the results of a race by singling riders during a race and asking them to alter their position. If it's worked out ahead of time before the race in the paddock, fine, but not during the race with signals on the pit board, it's just poor form and the fans hate it!

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Not as much as Tom Sykes hated it yesterday

My personal feeling is that this has no place in any racing sport. Unfortunately, however, there is no way to completely eliminate all teams from doing this, so there is no incentive for any one team to take the high ground in this matter when doing so could benefit the competition. For this reason, the only viable option is to allow it and make it a part of the sport's strategy, but ultimately it is the rider who is risking all on the tarmac, and so it is the rider who should have the final say as to whether he will comply.

Well I have to point out that Ducati wasn't like that all year. Chaz and Davide went head to head all year. Granted it wasn't for a championship, but it didn't look like they were being nice to each other, respectable maybe, but only as far as racing allows

Sykes had a 44 point lead with three rounds to go. Sykes lost the championship due to Tom Sykes IMHO.

Sykes crying like a little girl on twitter isn't helping things.

Duck41 said:

My personal feeling is that this has no place in any racing sport. Unfortunately, however, there is no way to completely eliminate all teams from doing this, so there is no incentive for any one team to take the high ground in this matter when doing so could benefit the competition. For this reason, the only viable option is to allow it and make it a part of the sport's strategy, but ultimately it is the rider who is risking all on the tarmac, and so it is the rider who should have the final say as to whether he will comply.

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Sure there is....one team, one bike. Fixed.

Watched both races last night and frankly Sykes was nowhere close enough for Baz to let him through. Baz risked a podium which should still matter for the "team" victory.

Sykes lost the championship because he lost the performance edge on his bike.

I hope that the Dukes can be up there next year with the changes.

Future potential employers of Baz will note this. The ultimate goal of running a series is the championship. If it happens to be a team, then the rider/driver highest in points has precedent. For Baz to be the one to hand the championship over to Aprillia, instead of being a team player, sucking it up and do whatever he had to for the greater good of his team would be known as a C.L.M. (career limiting move).
I don't like it but that is the reality of top level motorsports today, I hate team sports, and to see racing become a "team sport" is revolting. As for me, I would much rather see Aprillia win the Championship than Kawasaki, and keep my fingers crossed that Ducati gets back to the top of the heap next season.

centeroff said:

Future potential employers of Baz will note this. The ultimate goal of running a series is the championship. If it happens to be a team, then the rider/driver highest in points has precedent. For Baz to be the one to hand the championship over to Aprillia, instead of being a team player, sucking it up and do whatever he had to for the greater good of his team would be known as a C.L.M. (career limiting move).
I don't like it but that is the reality of top level motorsports today, I hate team sports, and to see racing become a "team sport" is revolting. As for me, I would much rather see Aprillia win the Championship than Kawasaki, and keep my fingers crossed that Ducati gets back to the top of the heap next season.

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I couldn't agree more. Regardless of the relationship between Sykes and Baz, Kawasaki is the manufacturer that developed Baz and gave him his opportunities to perform at that level. He selfishly refused to comply with their order and other teams will make note of that. It's not likely that Baz is going to be great at the GP level and he'll probably bounce around from team to team. Bad move on his part to show he puts his selfish desires above his team. He is young and immature.

Eleven 99 said:

He is young and immature.

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This is the bottom line. He's 21 years old, and he rides like it - he has all season being wild and taking out his teammate. What the hell were all of you like at 21? And he's one of the best riders in the world with a plum factory ride on arguably the best machine in the paddock - that is enough to feed anyone's ego, much less a virtuoso 21 year-old full of piss and vinegar.

Besides the no-love-lost between Sykes and Baz, no one yet mentioned the French angle. They're a nationalistic lot, so maybe that little bit more helped Baz make his decision on what to do when he saw the team orders sign.

Watching the most-humble-champion-ever Guinters standing at the winner circle with his beautiful kids and smokin' hot MILF wife choking through the tears "You so deserve it", while he says "I can't believe it", nearly brought a tear to my eye.

For those with the WSBK video pass, you could see during the pre-race promotional interviews that Tom wasn't nearly as cool as Sylvain, and I'm pretty sure it got under Tom's skin. Tom was on the grid doing his stretching/meditation with his Oakley music-glasses blasting away while Sylvain was calmly staring ahead (no "amp up" music or gymnastics needed) and every once in a while going over a last minute detail with his crew chief. He knew he was going to do it, while Tom was summoning all the right "conditions" to make it happen.

The right guy won the championship, because the other guy lost it.

I like the team drama and strategy. Makes racing harder and more interesting.

Can't just be the fastest rider, have to have the best strategy as well.