Saturday October 23rd, 1999

The Stewart-Ford team today accepted the decision of the FIA International Court of Appeal to overturn the Ferrari team's disqualification from the results of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Paul Stewart, Chief Operating Officer of the Stewart-Ford team, who was present at the appeal hearing in Paris, said: ‘Before we arrived in Paris, we were under the impression that this was a clear-cut case of a breach of the FIA Technical regulations by Ferrari.

"Fresh evidence was presented at the hearing by the FIA which acknowledged that the level of infringement (5mm) was in fact half that of the original measurement taken by the FIA Technical Delegate at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

"Based on the fact that 5mm is the accepted level of tolerance applied to that particular measurement under FIA regulations, and the court was satisfied that no infringement had occurred, we accept the court's decision to uphold Ferrari's appeal.

"Our energies will continue to be focussed on securing fourth place in the Constructors' Championship at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka next weekend."

Following Ferrari's disqualification for a technical breach, the Stewart-Ford team collected 10 points from the race, lifting them to 41 points and fourth place in the Championship. Stewart-Ford drivers, Johnny Herbert and Rubens Barrichello were originally placed fourth and fifth in the race and were subsequently elevated to second and third after the disqualification.

The FIA Court of Appeal's decision to reinstate both Ferraris means that Stewart-Ford's points tally reverts to five points, three for Herbert's fourth place and two for Barrichello's fifth place. The team now has 36 Championship points and remains in fourth place though the gap to fifth-placed Williams is reduced by five points to three.