In recent weeks all the talk around Formula One has centred around the business of the sport. The collapse of TV rights holders Kirch, the collapse of ITV digital and its long-term effects, the downturn in economies, the struggles of the sport's privateer teams to keep their multi-million dollar franchises alive.

Yesterday in Austria the sport returned to the headlines in the most unsporting manner.

Yards from taking his second ever career victory, Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello was ordered to surrender the dominance he had enjoyed all weekend over team-mate Michael Schumacher and let the German take the chequered flag first.

Four laps from home Barrichello, having dominated the race from his pole position start, had established a healthy four-second advantage over Schumacher. It wasn't to last. On the pit wall, Jean Todt pushed a sheet of paper across to technical director Ross Brawn, Brawn flicked his radio to Barrichello's channel and told the Brazilian to back off.

Within two laps to go the gap was down to 1.7 seconds and Schumacher suddenly set the race's fastest lap. As the pair rounded the final A1 Kurve, Barrichello slowed dramatically and Schumacher shot by, his dash across the line audibly heralded by a chorus of dissent from the 100,000 strong crowd watching on the main straight and on screens around the circuit.

Afterwards, Schumacher had the good grace to admit that the victory was not one he was enjoying. "It's very obvious that I take no joy from this victory," he said, before differentiating this year's tactical choice from last year, when Barrichello was forced to cede second to Schumacher just yards from home at the same venue.

"As Rubens said it was a team decision. Last year I was sort of involved in the situation because I felt the championship was much more tight than it is this year. This year I don't even think about this and before the race I was asked and I said: "I don't believe there is going to be a team strategy involved. And suddenly they told me that he would move over and, yeah, I'm not very pleased about it either."

Pleased or not Schumacher took advantage of the order, a move that may appear strange to those who feel that he wields enough power within Ferrari to ignore such an order safe in the knowledge that the internal sanctions would be few and hardly punitive.

The ill feeling that Ferrari and Schumacher had once more made a mockery of the drivers' championship spilled over into the latter stages of the post race press conference.

"Michael, what's the world championship worth now?" "I didn't know I am champion yet."

"If you win the championship, what's it worth?" "I don't think that's a very nice question to ask." "Isn't this sport? Isn't this about motor racing." To which Schumacher sat in silence, regarding the wolf pack ahead with a mixture of fury and fear.

Juan Pablo Montoya who followed the twin Ferraris to take third place which consolidates his position as second-placed man in the drivers' championship admitted that he was sorry for Barrichello.

"It's disappointing for Rubens. I felt he really deserved this," he said. "Michael, when you think about it, doesn't really have any challenge in the championship. I'm running second and we've done six races and already he's more than 20 points ahead of me. And maybe they're a second a lap ahead of us, what they're nervous about I don't know. But it's a team decision. But Rubens did deserve it."

Montoya later added to Colombian radio that "today is one of those days that I'm happy I'm not driving for Ferrari."

Former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine, who spent four years working as Schumacher's team-mate under the same orders as Barrichello concurred that it was not a decision the Italian team needed to make. "I don't think it was really necessary," said the Irishman, who was forced to retire from yesterday's race on lap 37 with hydraulic problems. "I can see why they did when I was driving with Ferrari, because in those days we weren't the dominant team and we needed all the help we could get.

"I can remember I didn't feel great when Salo moved over for me in Germany in 1999," he added. "But again there was a definite chance of me getting a shot at the title. But with the advantage they've got at the moment they can afford to win the title in a sporting manner."

The incident and the subsequent controversy completely overshadowed what had been an enthralling race. From the start, Barrichello was dominant, holding his lead into turn one and quickly opened up a gap of over a second on Schumacher, who had muscled past younger brother Ralf into the first corner.

By lap 23 Barrichello, on what looked like a lighter fuel load and a two-stop strategy had settled into a healthy lead. But then on lap 23 BAR's Olivier Panis suffered a mechanical failure which resulted in his car being left stranded in the middle of the pit straight.

The removal of his stricken BAR necessitated a safety car period in which both Ferrari's pitted in quick succession. They resumed, with Barrichello in the lead but with Schumacher once more behind his brother's Williams. Despite a second safety car period occasioned by an accident involving Takuma Sato and Nick Heidfeld, both Williams stuck to their one stop strategies and Michael Schumacher was only able to make his way past Ralf when the Williams man made a late single stop on lap 47 for new soft Michelins. That left Ferrari's Schumacher in second but with a "splash and dash" stop to make to get him to the end. Barrichello made his second stop on 62 and again retained the lead. Schumacher came in a lap later and after a lightning quick stop took second.

Further back Giancarlo Fisichella held on grittily to take fifth and David Coulthard took the remaining point for McLaren.

Last night, furious German Ferrari fans were still besieging the circuit with several saying they had been "betrayed" by their idol. In the car parks Ferrari flags could clearly be seen burning.