Eddie Jordan has criticised world champion Michael Schumacher for attempting to manufacture a dead heat in yesterday’s United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis.
Jordan said Schumacher's attempted manipulation of the finish could not have come at a worse time as Formula One battles for viewers and sponsors.
Schumacher led for all but two of the 73 laps but slowed in the final metres as he tried to cross the line alongside Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello.
Barrichello won the race by a mere 0.011 seconds.
"How can you have a dead heat?," said Jordan. "In modern technology when one thousandth of a second is possible, dead heats are gone out with Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger, Roy of the Rovers and all that stuff.
"There is no such thing as dead heats in anything any more, timing is too accurate with beams and lasers and stuff. Michael isn't that good yet."
Jordan said Schumacher’s actions gave viewers an excuse to press the 'off' button on their television sets especially after a weekend which had seen a thrilling climax in golf's Ryder Cup.
"It is a very, very financially hostile market at the moment and there were other sports on TV, one where golf made a huge impact on everyone throughout the globe by hard fighting," added Jordan.
"People want to see real competition, fought to the last ounce. That is what happened in the golf....people are not going to turn on a Formula One race when they know the end is going to be decided other than by true racing."
Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt said Schumacher had "no special instructions to win or to lose."
"There was no team orders. No need to have them," said Todt
"It was not planned, there were seven centimetres in it at the end. Michael could have won but he wanted to have Rubens very close to him which we were happy with.
PA