Ecclestone: Schumacher Paid for Moment of Panic

Michael Schumacher paid on Wednesday for a moment of 'panic' on the podium but team orders are a part of Formula One, according to the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

"There's team orders in bicycle racing and whatever," Ecclestone said after a hearing into Ferrari's controversial win in Austria last month. "That's how it is and I don't think we should change it. It's a team event."

Four times World Champion Schumacher, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Ferrari escaped sporting sanctions but were fined $1.0 million for what happened on the podium after a race that outraged fans in May.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) suspended half the sum for a year. Schumacher won the Austrian Grand Prix after Barrichello was ordered by his bosses to allow the Championship leader through in the final metres.

The obvious manipulation drew boos from the angry crowd and widespread condemnation for the Italian team's tactics. Asked whether Ferrari had escaped lightly, Ecclestone said they had done nothing wrong on the track.

"There is nothing they could do as far as the race was concerned, nothing at all," he said. "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!"

Stupid

Barrichello won the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring on Sunday after Ferrari this time told Schumacher not to overtake his teammate.

"Their behaviour on the podium was a little bit stupid," continued Ecclestone, referring to the sight of Schumacher pushing Barrichello to the top step in Austria.

The FIA commented earlier on how the Brazilian had stood in the winner's position while the German national anthem was played and how both stood together while the Italian anthem was sounded.

Schumacher also took the winner's trophy from the Austrian Chancellor, did not acknowledge him and handed it to Barrichello before taking the second place trophy.

"I think Michael got into a panic, he'd never been booed before so reacted," said Ecclestone. "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 is alright.

"There's an excuse for it but the result wasn't very tasteful," he said of the way Ferrari manipulated the Austrian race.

At the time, Schumacher had a 27-point lead in the Championship. He is now 46 clear and on course to secure a record-equalling fifth title before his home fans at Hockenheim next month.

"If they had fudged something early on in the race, which people suggested they should have done, it would have robbed Rubens of the fact that he actually did win the race," said Ecclestone. "So now the world knows that Rubens actually did win the race. Michael acknowledges that as well."