Formula One’s governing body (FIA) upheld a US$100,000 fine for Ferrari, but will impose no further sanction following the team orders controversy, an Italian motorsport official told reporters on Wednesday.
Angelo Sticchi Damiani, president of Italy’s CAI Motorsport Federation, said a meeting of the FIA’s world motor sport council agreed unanimously not to impose a further punishment.
Race stewards handed the US$100,000 fine to Ferrari after the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim in July when the team was found to have ordered Felipe Massa to allow Fernando Alonso to win.
The verdict would have come as a huge relief for Alonso, whose title hopes could have been ended if FIA had opted to punish the Spaniard who lies fifth in the standings and 41 points behind leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.
Ferrari, who would have had a one-two finish at Hockenheim even without the banned team orders being invoked, are third overall and 80 points adrift of leaders Red Bull.
They will be able to compete in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, their home race.
The hearing was as much about the very nature of the sport as one single offense and the outcome will be controversial.
There are those who argue that team orders should be legalized since they have been part of Formula One since the championship started in 1950 and have never really gone away.
Others say rules must be respected and to encourage overt manipulation of results would be a betrayal of the spirit of fair competition.
Meanwhile, the head of the Force One racing team yesterday welcomed a decision to give India the chance to host its first Grand Prix, calling it an endorsement of the country’s recent progress.
The World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday formally approved India’s inclusion on the race calendar for next year, although it has yet to give a green light to the new track being built outside the capital, New Delhi.
Force One team principal Vijay Mallya, who is also chairman of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India and a member of the FIA World Motorsports Council, said he was “delighted” with the decision.
“There are a maximum of 20 F1 Grand Prix races worldwide each year and it is a matter of pride that India is on the list,” said the liquor baron, who also heads Kingfisher Airlines and the Royal Challengers Bangalore T20 cricket side.
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