Ferrari team bosses have been summoned by the race stewards after denying implementing banned team orders during a controversial end to the German Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso won the race for Ferrari ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa.

However, Massa appeared to let the Spaniard past him with 17 laps remaining following a message on his team radio.

Under Formula One rules team orders are not permitted but, just moments before the controversial incident, Massa's race engineer Rob Smedley had spoken to the Brazilian.

He said: "Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?"

Smedley later apologised to Massa but, amid muted celebrations, both he and his driver claimed that Alonso had indeed been the faster of the pair.

Meanwhile, team communications director Luca Colajanni claimed the incident was purely "a driver decision".

"We didn't give any instruction at all. I don't think anything wrong has been done, or regulation breached," he claimed.

"Fernando was slightly quicker at that stage, and we informed the drivers."

Team orders are banned after Ferrari ordered Rubens Barrichello to let Michael Schumacher pass at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2002.

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