Ferrari face FIA hearing and wrath of fans

Ferrari have been summoned before Formula One's ruling body amid a barrage of criticism of their conduct at Sunday's controversial Austrian Grand Prix.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello led the race from the start but slowed under team orders allowing Michael Schumacher, the world champion and leader of this season's standings, to win the race on the final lap.

While Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and sporting director Jean Todt defended the move as a legitimate tactic from a team chasing the championship, critics claimed the Italy-based team have badly damaged the image of the sport.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA), which has in the past been unclear about whether "team orders" are allowed, said in a statement that Ferrari and their two drivers had been summoned to appear before their World Motor Sports Council in Paris on June 26.

But regardless of whatever decision the FIA reach the Italian media and the team's millions of fans appear to have already reached their verdict.

A headline in the daily Gazzetta dello Sport declared "Ferrari ruin everything".

As well as pointing the finger at Todt, the country's leading sports paper had some strong words for Schumacher.

"Michael was the only one who had the strength to oppose a decision that was insanely unsportsmanlike and unpopular," said Gazzetta.

MIND RULED THE HEART

However, Ferrari bosses tried to stem the flood of criticism, saying they had acted in the team's best interests.

"Every now and then you need to put the reasons of results and logic before the reasons of the heart," Montezemolo was quoted as saying by Italian newsagency ANSA.

"Ten seconds before the race's finish, I told to myself 'Good, Barrichello is winning', but two seconds after the finish I said: ' Well done, that was the right thing to do'."

A win would have been only the second in 153 races for Barrichello, who signed a two-year contract with Ferrari just before the Spielberg race, tying him to the team until the end of the 2004 season.

"Rubens - paid to lose" said Corriere dello Sport.

The decision to hand Schumacher victory was also slammed by Ferrari fans, the colourful 'tifosi' whose red flags are omnipresent at Grand Prix races.

"We are very disappointed," said Alberto Beccari, president of the Ferrari Club of Maranello, the team's home base.

"Above all we are sporting people before we are Ferrari fans. Todt's choice is not good for the sport. Those four points are not needed to win the world championship. We feel bitter as though we had lost," said Beccari.

Fans bombarded newspapers and websites with emails denouncing the decision.

"We like to celebrate victories not disgraces," wrote Roberto Curto in a letter to Gazzetta, "We have stolen a sweet from a child."

"It was an inauspicious decision. From tomorrow I will support McLaren. It is a disgrace," wrote another Italian fan.

Consumer protection group 'SOS Italia' demanded those who had bet on Barrichello be given their money back.

SNAI, Italy's biggest bookmaker, had earlier dismissed the request, saying team orders had always been part of the sport, but later gave in to pressure.

The bookmaker said it would pay punters who bet on Barrichello as well as those who bet on Schumacher.

SNAI, which runs some 69 percent of betting places in Italy, said some 35 percent of betters had put their money on Barichello and some 34 percent had preferred Shumacher.

HONEST

Todt insisted that Ferrari had acted within the spirit of the sport and stressed that they had at least been honest about their tactics.

"I think it is much better to show what we have decided. It would have been unfair to ask Rubens to simulate being overtaken which we could easily have organised.

"It would have been enough to put 10 more kilos of fuel in Rubens' car and Michael could have passed him on the pitstop but we didn't do that," said Todt in comments on Ferrari's official website.

"Ten points went to Michael, but morally, Rubens is the winner," added the Frenchman.

Also read:
- Schumacher stonewalls after team orders win
- Schumacher vows to pay back Barrichello
- Schumacher snatches controversial win