Does it constitute coaching though? Asking where his team mate is faster is asking for factual info rather than coaching. Pretty sure I have heard other drivers asking for similar info.
...For instance, if a driver said to his team, how can I go quicker through this corner and the team were giving them advice on brake balance or which line to take, that's coaching. If a driver says in which sectors or corners is the other guy quicker, I don't think that's coaching. IMO anyway.
Thought they abandoned that rule mid-way through last year? Or was it just part of it, or none of it!?? Do the FIA know anymore!!!???
As far as I'm concerned the rules have less to do with what has been done and more to do with who did it to whom.
Whilst I used to disagree with you 100% on this, there is a clear inconsistency in how the rules are applied when certain drivers appear to be involved. About half the grid can do what it likes, the other half can't........... If you look a the Belguim clip I have posted on the awards thread, is what Alonso did to Palmer in Belguim all that much different to what Rosberg did to Hamilton? He clearly ran him out wide deliberately, not even racing line, and didn't get a penalty, but Rosberg did last year. Palmer gets a penalty for being shoved off in Italy, but the Torro Rosso that overtakes him in Belguim off the track didn;t. We are back to interpretation of rules, advantages and inconsistencies thereof.
There's some sort of equation that takes into consideration the whine factor, team factor and racing fame factor, or RF(W+T). Poor Nico always suffered from a low racing fame factor which,as you can see, is the most important part of the equation.
The Nico rule that sticks in my mind the most was the penalty for his engineer telling him what to do with his gearbox failure in the race. The rule was subsequently removed.