Ferrari, Schumacher escape
with fine
Alan Baldwin
Ferrari, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello were jointly fined one million dollars by motor sport's world governing body on Wednesday over the controversial finish to last month's Austrian Grand Prix.
But Schumacher escaped a points deduction which could have breathed new life into the drivers' championship.
The fine came after Schumacher, gifted the race after team mate Barrichello was ordered to let him pass near the end, responded to jeers from the crowd by pushing his Brazilian colleague to the top of the podium to accept the winner's trophy.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) conceded "with some reluctance" that it could not fine the team for allowing Schumacher to win in such blatant circumstances.
But it said Ferrari and its drivers had failed to "observe podium procedures" while Schumacher had embarrassed the Austrian Chancellor during the trophy presentation.
The Ferrari pair avoided reporters outside FIA's headquarters in Paris when they left by a back door.
"Schumacher took the trophy for first place from the Austrian Chancellor, did not acknowledge him, handed the trophy to Rubens Barrichello and then took the second place trophy from the Austrian Deputy Chancellor," FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) said in a statement.
Half the fine was suspended for one year but will become payable should a similar offence occur within 12 months.
Some commentators had expected a points deduction for Schumacher or even a ban after the Austrian result sparked outrage worldwide.
The statement said WMSC "deplored the manner in which team orders were given and executed... Nevertheless the Council finds it impossible to sanction the two drivers, because they were both contractually bound to execute orders given by the team."
It said it recognised the "long-standing and traditional right of a team to decree the finishing order of its drivers".
The German driver is well on course for the drivers' title. with a 46-point lead after winning six of this season's nine races, with two second places and one third. No other driver has managed to win two races.
