Schumacher awaiting Ferrari's fate

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER will discover in Paris today if his stampede towards another Formula One driver's title is to temporarily hit the rails.

The German is virtually guaranteed a record-equalling fifth title after amassing 76 points out of a possible 90 to lead the championship by an incredible 46 points.

But Schumacher, team-mate Rubens Barrichello and his Ferrari bosses were due to appear before the 22 members of the World Council of FIA, the sport's governing body, this morning to explain their actions in Austria on 12 May.

The outcome of the hearing into Ferrari's decision to invoke team orders just six races into a 17-race season and order Barrichello to move over and gift Schumacher a victory is pure speculation. Ferrari did not break any rules even if they could be said to have acted against the spirit of sport, but strict podium protocol was breached when Schumacher pushed the Brazilian on to the winner's step.

Schumacher and Barrichello face a ban, which would rule them out of the British Grand Prix on Sunday week at least, a points deduction or a fine and warning as to their future conduct. Any ban would only delay the inevitable coronation of Schumacher as drivers' champion as it would appear unlikely that the 33-year-old will be ruled out for long enough to give his rivals a chance of catching him.

Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt has strongly defended the use of team orders, which were also implemented in Germany last Sunday to ensure Barrichello won the European Grand Prix from Schumacher.

Coming just three days before the World Council hearing, it was claimed that the Italian team had tried to appease the World Council by reversing the result of Austria, though Todt has denied this. But the Frenchman admitted he was surprised by the reaction in Austria as the crowd booed during the podium ceremony.

"We were not anticipating such a reaction," he said. "It was a surprise for us because team tactics have always been in F1 and we were not expecting such a controversy.

"What matters to us is that Ferrari are in front. It is up to the others to be in front of us."

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