Massa disappointed with team orders

Massa's discontent stemmed from an incident on lap 33 of the race, when the team instructed him to move aside so that Heidfeld could attack the BAR of Olivier Panis that Massa had become stuck behind. Massa obeyed the team order without question, but felt that Panis' subsequent retirement meant there was scope for the team to restore the original running order of its two cars.

"I understand why I had to let Heidfeld by," he told Swiss newspaper Blick, "but why did he not return the place to me later on? That would have been fair because that world championship point belonged to me."

The Brazilian's race engineer, Jacky Eeckelaert, had sympathy for his driver's point of view.

"We must accept the decision," he said, "but it is hard for Felipe, because he drove a sensational race."

Team boss Peter Sauber defended his stance, saying that Heidfeld had been quicker throughout the race and that letting him have a run at Panis was in the best interests of the team.

"Clearly it was a rather unpleasant thing for me to have to do," he said. "But I can at least say that it was justified."

Sauber now has 11 points, four fewer than Renault in the battle for fourth in the constructors' championship.