In Malaysia at the 1999 Grand Prix at Sepang, the Ferrari team recorded a 1-2 result - the best result that a team can ever get in Formula One. After the race, it came to the attention of the race stuards that both Ferrari cars had irregular and "illegal" barge-boards fitted (plates on both sides of the car that are related to the radiator inlets). The problem was that there was an extended part at the bottom of each barge-board that was not in concurrence with the rules for the barge-boards.
Should the Ferrari team have been banned from the race, Mika Hakkinen would have been promoted to first position - therefore he would have been crowned World Champion there and then. However, Ferrari appealed against this banning to the FIA (the sport's governing body) as soon as they heard of the disqualification. Incidentally, appealing is often considered by the FIA as 'asking for trouble', and teams have been warned of even deeper trouble should they appeal against any banning and end up unsuccessful. But Ferrari, of course, were not at all warned in this way about their appeal.
Moving on, Ferrari were granted a trial several days after they were banned, and during this time, the FIA would have certainly been weighing-up the consequences of Ferrari being successful and unsuccessful. They would have swiftly come up with the opinion that should Ferrari fail in their appeal - and Hakkinen subsequently be crowned champion there and then - then the sport would potentially lose billions of dollars of merchandise money should Ferrari win the Drivers' championship and the Constructors' Championship at the final race in Japan.
Solution? Simple. Contradict both the stuards 'banning' of the barge-boards and let Ferrari get away scot-free in the trial. So what happened? Exactly this!
If anyone is in any doubt about what is said above, then they should have looked at the arrogant smile on Eddie Irvine's face when walking away free from the court room - it was written all over his face that they got away with it - not to mention Bernie Ecclestones and Max Moseley's faces in the British broadsheet newspapers the day after the trial.
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