Teams were ready to protest Ferrari

Although teams are now waiting for a clarification from the FIA about whether Ferrari's wings are legal, the unhappiness about the situation in Sepang on Sunday morning led eight of Ferrari's competitors to actually lodge an advanced notice of protest.

BMW-Sauber, Honda Racing, Midland, Renault, Toyota, Super Aguri, McLaren and Williams all signed a letter to the stewards of the meeting indicating that they were going to protest Schumacher's car unless action was taken before the race.

In the letter, a copy of which has been obtained by autosport.com, the teams wrote: "The undersigned teams, by means of this document, formally notify the Stewards of the Meeting that they intended to protest against car number 5 driven by M. Schumacher of the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Team whilst competing in the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang circuit on the 19 th day of March 2006 unless suitable actions are taken ahead of the race.

"The protest is based on Article 3.15 of the Technical Regulations of the 2006 F.I.A. Formula One World Championship in that the upper forward element of the front wing of car no. 5 is free to move laterally away from the nose of the car thus contravening Article 3.15 and that the rear bodywork is allowed to deflect in a systematic manner in order to improve aerodynamic performance at speed also contravening Article 3.15."

It is understood that after the stewards received the letter, FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting stepped in to calm the situation and promised the teams that a clarification would be issued before the Australian Grand Prix.

That promise of a clarification was enough for the teams to decide against lodging a protest in Malaysia, although the situation remains uncertain for Australia.

Honda Racing boss Nick Fry said: "The FIA will clarify the situation before we get to Melbourne. That's what we need. All we asked (FIA technical delegate) Charlie Whiting is which interpretation is correct.

"It would be unfortunate if Ferrari's interpretation is said to be right because all the other teams will have to do similar things."

Fry also suggested that two of the eight teams that had signed the letter to the stewards were also running flexi-wing systems and would need to modify their cars if the regulations were changed for the Australian Grand Prix.

Article 3.15 of Formula One's technical regulations outlaws moveable aerodynamic devices The rule states that all parts of the car, apart from pitlane covers and brake ducts, "must comply with the rules relating to bodywork", "must be rigidly secured to the entirely sprung part of the car (rigidly secured means not having any degree of freedom)" and "must remain immobile in relation to the sprung part of the car."

Television images of Ferrari's front wing indicated that it not only flexed at high speed but that it actually moved laterally away from the nose along a sliding pin (read further explanation in autosport.com's technical analysis of Ferrari's wing).

The full letter from the teams: