Michael Schumacher Rules Part Deux

The furore over Ferrari's request that Michael Schumacher should be granted an exemption to the current in-season ban on testing seems to have taken a nasty turn.

As I mentioned in an update to a previous article "Schumacher Rules", while in appeared that the eight FOTA Teams had agreed to the exemption, the Williams Team would not agree to an exception being granted.  

They now appear to have been joined in their dissenting opinion by both Torro Rosso and Red Bull, who themselves, it now transpires, were denied a similar request regarding Jaime Alguersuari.

Now Ferrari has issued a statement on their website blasting Williams for deciding as they put it “to stick to the precise wording of the regulations” and ridiculing them as “A team that hasn't won anything for years and yet didn't pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play.”

F1’s image has suffered greatly because of the various legal cases brought in front of the FIA.  This kind of petulant behavior, from F1’s most senior team will hardy enhance F1’s image further.

What are Ferrari trying to achieve here?  The sarcastic tone of the official statement is beneath that of any team in any sport. The statement singles out Williams but does not have the honesty to name them.

It makes no mention of Torro Rosso or Red Bull who have sided with Williams concerning this issue. (The fact that Red Bull have won three more Grand Prix than Ferrari this season so far make them a harder target for ridicule)

In fairness to Ferrari, they make the point that they were in favor of giving Alguersuari an opportunity to test, but where was their outrage following the denial of his request?

In short, Ferrari made a request they were entitled to make and it, as with a similar request, was denied.  Ferrari should have followed the example of Red Bull and kepp quiet and got on with the business of ensuring that Michael Schumacher’s return to F1 is as successful as possible (within the rules of course!)