Bernie: Ferrari paid for 'stupid' behaviour
Formula 1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone reckons that Ferrari got what it deserved when the FIA world council handed the team, and its drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, a joint $500,000 fine for their actions on the podium at the Austrian GP
"Their behaviour on the podium was a little bit stupid," Ecclestone told Reuters "I think Michael got into a panic, he'd never been booed before so reacted. He didn't think it through because he didn't have time to think it through. So I think in the end what has happened [the fine] is alright."
Ecclestone went on to say that although he found Ferrari's team orders distasteful, they had acted within the rules and as such could not be punished for stage-managing the finish.
"There's team orders in bicycle racing and whatever," Ecclestone added. "That's how it is and I don't think we should change it. It's a team event.
"In this case it didn't make any difference to the constructors' championship and as you can now see it didn't make any difference to the world championship either!"
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