HALLE, Germany -- Formula One officials are set to strip Michael Schumacher of his Austrian Grand Prix victory, the magazine Auto, Motor and Sport reported Wednesday.

The German trade publication quoted sources from FIA, the sport's governing body, saying Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher's Ferrari teammate, would be awarded the grand prix title.

Ferrari sports director Jean Todt ordered Barrichello to slow down on the final straight of the May 12 race, allowing Schumacher to win the race and help his bid for a fifth world title.

The magazine said the 23-member FIA world council favors basing the race result on the penultimate lap when a hearing is held June 26 in Paris. Barrichello was ahead of Schumacher at that point. Schumacher's spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm, said the driver and his team had no comment on the report.

"We can't comment on every rumor that comes along," Kehm said.

Richard Woods, a spokesman for Geneva-based FIA, said Wednesday it would be "entirely inappropriate to comment in advance of the World Motorsport Council decision."

"The case will be presented by Ferarri on the day," Woods said. "The World Motorsport Council will assess the case that's presented to them and then make a decision. On the 26th of June, a decision will be communicated both to Ferrari and the wider public."

If Schumacher is stripped of the title, he would get six points for finishing second instead of the 10 points awarded to the winner.

The difference would not be enough to threaten Schumacher's 43-point lead over William BMW drivers' Juan Montoya and younger brother Ralf Schumacher.

At the Canada Grand Prix last week, there were still isolated boos from the spectators directed at the Ferrari team.

"We won't do something like that ever again," Michael Schumacher said.

Ferrari has left open the possibility of more "team orders" for their drivers in the future, although Todt admitted he would also have to factor in the damage to the team's image after Austria.

Several other teams, including Williams and Honda Jordan, have admitted they have also instructed their drivers during the race to not attack teammates or let them pass in the team's interest.

[F1]

hahhahahaha
yes yes
something good finally happen

[F1]

thanks Jdm

[SpeedingQuattro]

But I think that's not fair
Team order i think is fine
evey team does that
They rather put all the points to one driver to win the title
I don't see any thing wrong
but I think ferrari should call the team order earlier
so that others won't know they are using team orders to let Michael pass

[2FAST4U]

This sounds stupid.
The FIA isn't spending the money to win races like all these teams... and this matter is within the Ferrari camp. Yes it was a bad move for the team, and an even uglier scene for the sport. However, this is not the way to do it. Sure you can go ahead and motion for a new rule that will prohibit and punish such actions in the future, but stripping Scheuy of his points will be dumb and out of the FIA's jurisdictions. If at all a "set-an-example" punishment is called for, it should not be the 4 points between Rubans and Michael. It should be to fine Ferrari as a team!

It's like walking into a couple's room while they are having an intercourse, and tell them how they should do things and what they should not do. You tell them afterwards, not right in the middle of it! That's it... my 2 cents~

DANNY

THE usually reliable AUTO MOTO UND SPORT magazine in Germany has put its reputation on the line by suggesting that it knows in advance what is going to happen when the FIA World Motor Sport Council meets in Paris on June 26. The magazine quoted an unnamed FIA official saying that the organization will cancel the last lap of the Austrian GP and give victory to Rubens Barrichello.

The story was credited to the highly-respected journalist Michael Schmidt, who was recently named one of the 100 most influential people in Formula 1 by Bernie Ecclestone's Formula 1 Magazine (one of only three journalists on that list). Schmidt is also a member of the FIA Press Commission.

The FIA responded angrily to the story.

"No FIA official can say something like that now, because it will all be decided at the council meeting," a spokesman said. "It's hard to say what will happen, but it's impossible to make statements like that today."

It should be noted that a decision could have been made internally at the FIA about what punishment should be proposed to the World Council and this might have leaked out to Schmidt. Unfortunately the publication of his story means that it would now be very difficult for that punishment to be applied, if only because it would seem to back up the suggestion that a penalty can be decided in advance.

And that is not an implication the FIA would want to promote.

There are, of course, other questions such as whether the story might have been leaked to Schmidt as part of an effort to sway the decision-making process. That does not seem very likely as the federation is not going to respond well if it feels it is being manipulated and it could backfire with Ferrari getting an even more severe penalty.

We will see what happens in Paris on June 26...

[eric]

I agree with Danny
they should just fine Ferrari as a team