Ferrari hits back at Lauda

In a column published on its official website on Friday, titled the 'Horse Whisperer', Ferrari does not hold back in venting its frustrations at Lauda's recent outspoken remarks saying the team had 'mocked' fans in ordering Felipe Massa to sacrifice victory in Germany.

The Horse Whisperer column stated: "After events in Hockenheim, a wave of hypocrisy swept through the paddock, with so many pundits, young and old, keen to have their say: some were promptly brought back into line by his master's voice, while others continue to pronounce sentence willy-nilly.

"The latest missive comes from Austria, from a person, who having hung up his helmet, has never missed out on a chance to dispense opinions left and right, even if, on more than one occasion, he has had to indulge in some verbal acrobatics to reposition himself in line with the prevailing wind.

"This time, good old Niki has missed out on a fine opportunity to keep his mouth shut, given that, when he was a Scuderia driver, the supposed Ferrari driver management policy suited him perfectly... That aside, where was all his moral fury when, over the past years, so many have been guilty of more or less overt hypocritical actions?"

Reacting to Lauda's suggestions that the FIA should give the Maranello team a 'pasting' for what it did, the Ferrari column states that in such a situation it is best simply to trust the governing body will do the right thing.

"As for any predictions regarding a possible decision from the FIA World Council on 8 September, time will tell: in this sort of situation, the best policy is to respect and to trust in the highest level of the sport's governing body," it said.

The unidentified 'Horse Whisperer' caused a stir earlier this season when it blasted the presence of the new teams in F1 - and claimed that the FIA was engaged in a 'holy war' against manufacturer teams.