Ferrari in the dock

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Ferrari?s drivers and Stefano Domenicali received a full and proper grilling from journalists after the team orders scandal at the German Grand Prix. For the most part Fleet Street felt sorry for Felipe Massa but there was also a healthy dose of anger at the team. The Mirror?s Byron Young said Ferrari had written off Massa in one fell swoop as it rallied behind Fernando Alonso.

?At a stroke the Spaniard's dying championship chances were given the defibrillator treatment while Massa's were dispatched to the mortuary. When Alonso tried to embrace the little Brazilian afterwards, Massa brushed him away."

David Tremayne in The Independent suggested that by acting in the team?s interests, Ferrari were simply acting in Alonso?s interests.

?A year ago to the day, the Brazilian lay in hospital, felled by the head injury he had sustained in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. When he jumped into the lead here, as slow-starting polesitter Vettel did his best to make Alonso part of the pit wall, it seemed that we might be in for a fairytale race. But there are no such things in this sport. As Alonso intoned endlessly, these days it is ?all about the team.? For which read, ?All about me.??

However, Tom Cary of the Daily Telegraph warned against laying too much blame at Ferrari?s door as it was acting within an unworkable set of rules

?Domenicali would not have enjoyed making the call he did. Massa is aprt of the Ferrari family and it was the anniversary of his near-fatal crash in Hungary. And if the Brazilian had still been in the title mix he would not have made it. But he isn?t. ?Ferrari were caught and they must pay. But maybe it is time the rules were changed??

Theo Fitzau Pat Flaherty Jan Flinterman Ron Flockhart Myron Fohr