FIA Apologises to Austrian Chancellor

Formula One's ruling body has apologised to the Austrian Chancellor for confusion on the podium at the country's May 12th Grand Prix after Ferrari's controversial win.

"I have written apologising on behalf of the FIA," International Automobile Federation president Max Mosley told Reuters at the Monaco Grand Prix on Friday. "I felt I had to do that. It couldn't wait for a decision of the World Council. It obviously was a disagreeable situation for him to be in."

Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel was guest of honour at the race to hand out the trophy to the winner. Ferrari's World Champion Michael Schumacher took the chequered flag and pushed teammate Rubens Barrichello to the top step of the podium and insisted he take the winners' trophy from a puzzled chancellor.

Ferrari have been summoned to appear before the FIA's world motorsport council in Paris on June 26 to explain their behaviour both in the race and on the podium.

"The issue of the race will probably be not so much the team orders as the way it was done," said Mosley. "And then the issue on the podium would presumably be the suggestion that the procedure was not followed."

If found guilty, Ferrari could face a range of sanctions from a simple reprimand to exclusion of some sort. Mosley did not want to prejudge the hearing and also said the FIA had not told Ferrari how to behave ahead of Sunday's race.

"I believe Ferrari may well have taken internal decisions, but that's a matter for them," he said. "We can't say to them what they should or shouldn't do. We just sit there with our rule book and try to deal with any infringements."