MAY 14, 2002

Ferrari defends itself

LUCA DI MONTEZEMOLO has backed up Ross Brawn and Jean Todt's decision to ensure that Michael Schumacher won the Austrian GP on Sunday.

"Jean Todt and other team officials made the right choice," he said.

The team will still have to face an inquest on Austria by the FIA World Motor Sport Council and the team could face a penalty. If this was a race ban for the team, as some people have suggested, this could have a huge negative effect on the British Grand Prix, which is the next race after the World Council meeting on June 26.

Montezemolo said that the team's interests "prevail on the drivers' interests" and stressed that the team wants to win both World Championship again this year.

The reaction from around the world clearly indicates that the current situation is not good for the sport in general - nor for Ferrari - and so it is in everyone's interest that new ways are found to deal with the problem. One possible route would be to outlaw team orders before a certain point of the season although this would not stop teams orchestrating matters if they really wanted it to happen. It would however stop blatant actions like the one we saw in Austria.