Niki Lauda has added to the widespread criticism of Ferrari as the team struggles to regain its form of the last decade. The three-time world champion, who won two of his titles with Maranello, was typically politically incorrect as he derided the “spaghetti culture” of the Italian squad.

The Austrian was asked about the differences between the glory years of 2000-2007 and now, and gave his forthright opinion. He highlighted the loss of the group of people who are generally considered to have masterminded Ferrari´s success.

“In those days, Ross, because he is English, was the ideal bridge between the Italians, with their spaghetti culture, and Schumacher, with his German efficiency.”

“Now the Italians are running it all. Does it work? It could be chaos. That’s the problem,” Lauda is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying.

It is thought Lauda is referring to a very political and bureaucratic side of the Ferrari team that is a well-documented part of the great marque´s history. Lauda himself left the team because he was dissatisfied with the internal strife, and other greats such as Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell have also decried the management style of the team.

Today´s management set-up in the modern era of F1 is a much more professional arrangement but it is clear that Ferrari will need to work hard to improve and banish the doubters.

By Hugh Podmore on Tuesday, April 21, 2009

An outlandish and laughable report in a Spanish newspaper claims that Renault were dealt an unofficial penalty in Shanghai to punish team boss Flavio Briatore for his outspoken stance on the FIA split-diffuser decision.

The Chinese Grand Prix started under the safety car due to heavy rain and stayed out for a full eight laps as the deluge continued.

Fernando Alonso, who used a light fuel load to qualify on the front row, used the opportunity to fuel longer into the race, but the Spaniard was left in limbo at the back of the field when the safety car pulled in on the same lap to get the race started.

The Spanish newspaper 20 Minutos has speculated that the decision to bring the safety car in on the same lap as Alonso’s pit stop was an attempt by race director Charlie Whiting to disrupt the Spaniard’s race.

The newspaper goes on to speculate that the Renault team were being punished for team principal Flavio Briatore’s outspoken stance on the FIA ”double-deck” diffuser decision, which his team lost.

Renault have denied the rumours and Alonso confirms that he and the team were just unlucky [see separate story HERE].

“I think it’s one of those days when you take decisions at the wrong moment and everything seems to turn against you,” said the double world champion.

“We thought that the safety car would be out for the next 10 or 15 laps so we came in to get fuel and at the same time the safety car came in so we found ourselves starting the race last.

“We were on the first row on the grid and all of a sudden we were last so this was the end of our race.”

Indeed, it is very unlikely that Whiting singled out Alonso for specific punishment on the track.

A random penalty of this nature without prior notice would be without precedent. It would not be within the rules, as team penalties must go through the correct channels.

A less paranoid explanation for the Spaniard’s difficulties yesterday would be a simple strategic error from the team, who decided to short-fuel the Spanish ace. Renault have fuelled Alonso light before to jump him up the grid in qualifying, even if then his race suffers.

By Hugh Podmore

Red Bull Racing is reported to be in the midst of an internal row following the use of the British national anthem for the team on the podium in China.

The team races under an Austrian licence and is owned by Austrian Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz, and the choice of the British anthem angered motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.

“I am disappointed because we have a Austrian licence but no Austrian anthem was played,” Marko was quoted by Eurosport as saying. “Probably the Chinese do not have it.”

But the team evolved from Jaguar Racing, its previous incarnation, and Stewart Racing before that, both quintessentially British teams. The team is based in Milton Keynes and will have retained a large number of mostly British mechanics, whose reward was to hear their anthem played on the podium.

The present management structure comprises Christian Horner, Adrian Newey and Geoff Willis, all British-born. The dispute is likely to continue.

By Hugh Podmore