FIA to consider team orders breach on September 8

The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council will consider Ferrari’s team orders breach on 8 September.

For the position switch at Hockenheim last month, the Italian team was fined $100,000 by the stewards for breaking not only the tam order rule 39.1, but also the general guideline about disrepute.

It had been speculated that the disciplinary hearing would be held in Como, Italy, on September 10 — the day of a scheduled Council meeting.

But that would have clashed with Friday practice for the Italian grand prix.

The sport’s governing body has therefore convened a separate meeting two days earlier for the Ferrari matter, in Paris on September 8.

FIA president Jean Todt, implicated in the infamous Austria 2002 team orders controversy, will not chair the meeting; instead it will be headed by the deputy president for sport, Graham Stoker.

Also on Monday, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo referred to some recent “perplexing decisions”.

“But we must look ahead and believe in the fact that today, we are in the fight for the championship,” said the Italian.

“This is the Ferrari I like to see and the one our fans want to see; a team that can fight and deliver the results.”

Like McLaren, Ferrari’s factory shut down for two weeks on Sunday.

© RIF | GMM