Formula One authorities are set to strip Michael Schumacher of his controversial Austrian Grand Prix victory last month, the magazine Auto, Motor and Sport reported on Wednesday.
The German trade publication, with a reputation for accuracy, quoted sources from the sport’s governing body FIA in saying Schumacher’s Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello would be awarded the grand prix title.
Ferrari ignited worldwide outrage in Austria when team boss Jean Todt ordered Barrichello to slow down on the final straight and let Schumacher pass him to help the German’s bid for a fifth world title.
The trade magazine said the 23-member FIA world council favours basing the race result on the penultimate lap when a hearing is held on the incident June 26 in Paris.
Barrichello was easily ahead of his Ferrari teammate at that point.
Schumacher’s representative, Sabine Kehm, said the driver and his team took no stand on the magazine’s report.
”We can’t comment on every rumour that comes along,” Kehm said.
An unnamed FIA official also told the German sports agency SID that no one from his organization could confirm or deny Schumacher would be stripped of the title.
”No FIA official can say something like that now, because it will all be decided at the council meeting,” he said.
”It’s hard to say what will happen, but its impossible to make statements like that today.”
If Schumacher loses the title, the German would get second place points of six in the driver’s title instead of 10 for the winner, not enough to threaten the German’s huge lead of 43 over William BMW drivers’ Juan Montoya and younger brother Ralf Schumacher.
Even at the Canada Grand Prix last week, there were still isolated boos from the spectators at the Ferrari team.
”We won’t do something like that ever again,” Michael Schumacher said.
The Ferrari bosses have left open the possibility of more ”team orders” for their drivers in the future, although Todt admitted he would also have to factor in the damage to the famed Italian team’s image after Austria.
Several other teams, including Williams and Honda Jordan, have said they have also called in instructions to their drivers during the race to not attack team mates or let them pass in the team’s
interest. – Sapa-AP