FIA to probe McLaren's Monaco victory

Formula One's governing body, the FIA, are to investigate McLaren's victory at the Monaco Grand Prix after boss Ron Dennis orchestrated a team procession.

Sunday's race saw Fernando Alonso lead home team-mate Lewis Hamilton in a contrived one-two, and now the FIA are to launch a probe into the victory for a "possible breach of the international sporting code".

A statement on the FIA's website, www.fia.com, read: "The FIA has launched an investigation into incidents involving the McLaren Mercedes team at the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix in light of a possible breach of the international sporting code. The relevant evidence is under review and a further announcement will be made in due course."

Prior to the announcment, Dennis maintained the outcome was a result of team strategy, rather than team orders.

Team orders are banned by the FIA after Rubens Barrichello was told to let Michael Schumacher win the Austrian Grand Prix in 2002.

Dennis insists there was nothing amiss with his plans for the 78-lap race around the streets of the Principality.

The 59-year-old catered for a potential safety-car incident, as had occurred in four of the previous five Monaco Grands Prix. If one had taken place, Hamilton would have claimed victory.

As it was the 22-year-old was instructed "to take it easy" late on as he had closed to within 0.8seconds of Alonso.

That left a clearly unhappy Hamilton bemoaning his second-fiddle role, insisting: "I've number two on my car and I am the number two driver."

It begs the question as to where the fine line comes between team orders and team strategy.