Formula One team Ferrari were spared further punishment for giving drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa team orders during the German Grand Prix, according to an Italian Automobile official on Wednesday.
The Formula One giants ordered Massa to allow Alonso to pass him at Hockenheim, a decision which saw them handed a 100,000 euro fine by race stewards for breaching sporting regulations.
In fact, the governing body has instead ordered a review of the regulations, which is an indication that the team orders ban will be amended or scrapped altogether. F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, as well as FIA president Jean Todt, were present for Wednesday’s proceedings.
And having attended a FIA hearing in Paris, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, the president of the Italian Automobile Commission, told Italian reporters that the fine had been confirmed but no new penalties imposed.
The World Motor Sports Council’s disciplinary panel had the authority to ban Ferrari from competing in the 2010 Formula One world championship should they have decided to punish the Italian manufacturer further.
The team orders rule was introduced after the infamous 2002 Austrian Grand Prix when Ferrari – then run by present FIA supremo Jean Todt who stepped aside for the hearing – instructed race leader Rubens Barrichello to pull over to allow Michael Schumacher through and claim victory.
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