FIA decision expected today

The seemingly endless battle between McLaren and Ferrari moved from the Styrian countryside yesterday, venue of Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, to the Paris headquarters of the sport's governing body on the Place de la Concorde.

Barely 24 hours after their one-two at the A1-Ring, McLaren were appealing to the FIA against the rejection of their protest that Ferrari were handed an unfair advantage at the British Grand Prix by the stewards' failure to implement the rules. A decision is expected today.

Michael Schumacher, third on Sunday, won for Ferrari at Silverstone after escaping the proper 10-second stop-go penalty for overtaking Alexander Wurz's Benetton under a yellow caution flag. The German had 10 seconds added to his race time because Ferrari were not notified of the penalty until fewer than 12 laps remained. McLaren insist he should have come into the pits, which increases the time lost significantly, because the transgression occurred with 17 laps to go. In the event Schumacher came in for a farcical 10 second penalty after taking the chequered flag.

The atmosphere between Ferrari and McLaren is extremely frosty. McLaren cannot forgive their closest rivals for protesting against their secondary braking system in Brazil in March shortly after the FIA's technical department said it was legal.

McLaren's managing director Ron Dennis is also concerned that Ferrari are using electronic engine mapping which duplicates the effect of banned traction-control systems which reduce wheelspin to enhance grip out of corners.

Dennis accepts the system is not illegal but seems concerned that the line between the acceptable and unacceptable could be blurred to McLaren's cost. He is also angry at Ferrari revelations in Austria that McLaren had threatened a protest that Ferrari had traction control.

However, Dennis did not criticise Ferrari for implementing team orders after Eddie Irvine developed "brake trouble" on Sunday and allowed Schumacher through. "I have no problem with that," he said, probably mindful of the outcry against McLaren after David Coulthard allowed Mika Hakkinen to win in Australia.

Eddie Irvine is believed to have signed a new one-year deal with Ferrari. An official announcement from the company headquarters at Maranello, near Modena in Italy, is expected today.

The deal is reported to be worth in excess of $5 million to Irvine but there will be no ambiguity about his position in the team - he is there as number two to Schumacher.

Irvine has competed in 74 grands prix since his debut for Jordan in 1993 and he has had the second longest innings - 76 starts - of any Irish driver. John Watson raced in 152 grands prix and won five.

Carlos Sainz stormed to victory in the New Zealand Rally yesterday to become the most successful rally driver in history.

The Spaniard chalked up his 22nd World Rally Championship victory in winning the 25-stage rally in three hours 54 minutes 57.1 seconds - taking him one win ahead of Finn Juha Kankkunen.

Sainz finished 4.1 seconds ahead of French Toyota teammate Didier Auriol, who he had trailed by 30.4 seconds overnight. Sainz's victory also made him the new leader of the championship, overhauling Scotland's Colin McRae.

McRae, fourth overnight, and fellow Scot Richard Burns slipped back after problems. Burns, who was third overnight, rolled his Mitsubishi 12 kilometres from the end of the stage and dropped to 14th.

Subaru driver McRae suffered a puncture half-way through the stage to drop to fifth behind reigning champion Tommi Makinen and Kankkunen. Burns fought back to finish ninth after clocking the fastest time on the final three stages.

Sainz has 41 drivers' championship points, McRae 38 and Makkinen is third on 28 points. The next round of the world championship is the Rally of Finland on August 21st-23rd.