United front: Alonso (left) and Massa (right) on the Hockenheim podiumFormula One ripped up its own rule book in three hours yesterday by extraordinarily excusing Ferrari's manipulation of the German Grand Prix.
Although the race stewards fined them £65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment..
It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'.
Fans were angered when the Italian team told Felipe Massa to give way so that Fernando Alonso might win the race. Many within the sport, though, felt team orders were age-old and that Ferrari were just one of many offenders
That was the view of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who said after the hearing: 'This proves that the rules need to be looked at again. If you swapped your drivers around with a few laps left, that is bringing the sport into disrepute. But if you do it earlier, I don't have a problem with team orders.'
Controversial: Alonso (background) and team-mate Massa at HockenheimFerrari boss Stefano Domenicali maintained Ferrari didn't give explicit orders to Massa at the German race, although the Brazilian driver received a message from race engineer Rob Smedley saying Alonso was faster than him.
The radio message was seen as a clear order to let his teammate pass him, but Massa said after the race it was his decision to slow down.
'In my opinion this was not a case of team orders: my engineer kept me constantly informed on what was going on behind me, especially when I was struggling a bit on the hard tires,' Massa said. 'So I decided to do the best thing for the team.'
The FIA ban on team orders was introduced following the 2002 season after Ferrari ordered Rubens Barrichello to hand victory to Michael Schumacher in the Austrian Grand Prix.
Yesterday's fudge could yet bite the FIA if Alonso takes the world crown by virtue of the two points he scored illegally.
source :dailymail
