Irvine: Michael is blameless

In his column in The Sun newspaper, the Ulsterman defends Ferrari's use of team orders, although he admits that with such a car and points advantage they may have seemed unnecessary.

"For me, there are two ways of looking at the A1-Ring situation," he said. "I can see it from the team's point of view because their brief is to deliver the world championship. If that is all that matters to Ferrari, the sponsors, the shareholders and all the rest of the people who have a financial interest - fine. But it is not a very stylish way of doing business."

Irvine knows very well how Ferrari operates, having moved over for Schumacher in the past. He was also a beneficiary of team orders, when both Mika Salo and Schumacher effectively gave him wins during his pursuit of the 1999 title. His unique insight means he understands that the drivers were left with no option but to obey their instructions.

"Michael is blameless, because his hands are tied as much as Rubens' are," he argued. "Forget the millions that he is paid, the wins he has delivered - or his status in the team. He is just another employee who has to do what he is told. If he had gone against the team's wishes that would have been anarchy - and Schumacher is a true professional and a team player."