Ferrari continued to insist that they were not trying to make a political statement as their decision to carry the flag of the Italian navy on their cars in India this weekend threatened to escalate into a serious diplomatic incident.
Ferrari continued to insist on Friday night that they were not trying to make a political statement as their decision to carry the flag of the Italian navy on their cars in India this weekend threatened to escalate into a serious diplomatic incident.
Two members of the Italian navy's vessel protection department are awaiting trial following the fatal shootings of two Indian fishermen in February.
Political statements are forbidden in Formula One, but Ferrari decided to sport the flags "in the hope that the Indian and Italian authorities will soon find a solution to the situation".
The statement was carefully worded so as not to show overt support for the sailors. However, it could be interpreted as political, especially given the comments of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and Italy's foreign minister Giulio Terzi.
Di Montezemolo, who some observers in Italy believe was lent on by senior public officials, told Italian television on Friday: "It is the contribution that Ferrari can make to this story."
Terzi added: "It shows the support of the whole country for our sailors."
Syed Akbaruddin, an official spokesman in India's ministry of external affairs, was critical of Ferrari's decision, saying the use of "sporting events to promote causes which are not of a sporting nature is not in keeping with the spirit of sports".
As Indian media began to pick up on the story on Friday night, a team spokesperson for Ferrari tried to play down the furore. "We just wanted to pay tribute to all the Italian navy which is one of the excellence of Italy," he said. "It's just a sign of hope that a solution can be found about the case that involves two Italian sailors.
"Something which has to be clear is we don't want to say anything in one sense or another. We have utmost respect for the Indian authorities."
On the track, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were sixth and seventh fastest respectively in practice yesterday, 0.9?sec adrift of Red Bull's championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who topped both the morning and afternoon sessions.
McLaren's preparations have been overshadowed by issues with their accommodation. While the Hilton Noida is new, it is situated between a river and an open sewer, causing both a foul stench and numerous mosquitoes to infiltrate the building. The situation is made more worrying by an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Dengue fever in India's capital.
A McLaren spokesperson played down the issue. "The Hilton Noida is an excellent hotel," he said. "As regards mosquitoes, they're a hazard of life all over India."
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