MAY 14, 2002

Sir Jackie Stewart warns FIA

TRIPLE World Champion and former F1 team owner Jackie Stewart has warned the FIA not to ban Ferrari because of the effect it will have on the British Grand Prix if the Italian team is not allowed to take part. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Stewart said that it would be a "commercial decision of enormous magnitude" and that the attendance of the British Grand Prix would be "severely affected" is Ferrari was not allowed to race.

Stewart did however criticize Ferrari's actions in letting Michael Schumacher win the race.

"Michael could easily have disregarded the instruction. He has more power in Ferrari than any single man I have ever known in all of my career in motorsport as a watcher of Ferrari. It could have been altered by Michael's personal initiative, he could have said it on the radio."

The British GP and the FIA have been at loggerheads in recent years over the facilities at Silverstone, and Stewart's comments about the need not to ban Ferrari may not help the situation, although direct communication between the FIA and the British Government in recent months has cleared up some misconceptions that previously existed on both sides.