Are Ferrari a destructive force in the sport?
With the drivers' championship already in the bag for the German, the move ensured Barichello would claim second place, fulfilling Ferrari's remaining ambition for the season.
The move comes four months after a controversial finish to tthe Austrian Grand Prix, when team orders dictated that Barrichello should slow down to hand Schumacher the victory.
Are Ferrari wrong to manipulate Formula One results?
The problem with Formula One is not Ferrari, it is the FIA. Technology has outpaced the circuits that the cars race. If the FIA is serious about making F1 more interesting here are a couple of ideas.
Make the manufacturers soften their suspensions by going to low profile tires. To counter the loss of grip, go to bigger tyres. That should make it a wash.
The second suggestion is ban carbon fibre brakes. Going back to steel brakes will increase breaking distances and to some extent brake fade. This will allow more passing opportunities and force drivers to use their brakes more judiciously.
Eli Massey, USA
Schumi made a mistake and maybe decided it was poetic justice. The slate is clean and his number of wins this season is now accurate. He as much as said this, so I don't know why everyone seems to think he didn't own up to a mistake.
Anyway, this was certainly better than Mansel losing it before the end of the race while waving to the crowd.
Craig, USA
OK, not the best outcome to the US GP, but what is going on at Williams and McLaren. The only joke this season has been their performance!!
Paul O'Connor, Scotland
Schumacher miscalculated on the line, and he should have just admitted it. People would have accepted that. As for Ferrari dominance, what about the 1970's with the JPS Lotus pair of Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson, and the Tyrell twins of Stewart and Cevert.
It's up to the other teams to catch up, Williams BMW have been very poor this year, yet they supposed to have the most powerful engine. At least McLaren are going forward, and have employed another 100 people to try and beat the Red cars.
What we really need is close racing like the touring cars. To do this we must get rid of driver aids, electronics, wings and reduce tyre sizes. Come on Bernie and Max, bite the bullet and sort out the rules, or F1 may die.
Trevor Piper,
UK
I think you Brits are POOR sports. Where were Williams and McLaren? That is the real injury to your British pride. If a McLaren driver had done this, the comments from the UK would have words like humble, sportsmanship, etc.
Wayne, USA
Anyone who bets on F1 individual drivers in individual races is a mug. We've seen it all before - with Ferrari and in the previous season with MacLaren (it's not always Ferrari) - when drivers purposefully alter the race conclusion. Ferrari are simply the best package around - stop whinging and give then the credit they deserve. It's the F1 organisers that need the criticism.
Don Cuillin, Colombia
I find no fault in the Ferrari team; they drove hard all day, destroyed the competition and came home side by side. It was a pretty sight to behold. If the other teams get better, then it will be different. I find it amusing that those who want to gamble complain about the outcome.
Richard, USA
It's not Ferrari's fault that they have their house in order - it's up to the other teams to come up to standard.
Dave B, UK
Ferrari should be punished for bringing the sport into disrepute. Strip them of the constructors championship
Rob, UK
I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I do know that I've stopped watching Formula One races.
Don Heck, USA
Those moaning about bets, you gambled knowing Ferrari have team orders, tough luck. In a Liverpool match, if Heskey had a clear shot on goal but passed to Owen to score because he hadn't scored for a while, no one would cry "fix", so why's it any different for F1?
Russel, UK
I think that Schumacher should be punished for doing this. I placed a significant bet on Schumacher to win the Grand Prix and now, rather than winning $3000, I have lost quite a bit. This really has to stop, otherwise people will stop betting on the sport and look for other avenues to spend their gambling money on.
Ravi, USA
My brother used to sit me down and force me to watch F1 when he used to babysit me, in the days of Senna and Prost. On the same team, but hated each other. If only F1 had been in the state it is today - I'd never have had to suffer. If my brother thinks it's boring then it must be!
St, UK
As I watched the scarlet Ferraris cross the finish line, instead of joy, I just felt cheated. Like millions of other fans, I just want to watch a genuine race and not an engineered result. Although I adore Ferrari and I admire their technical brilliance and superiority over the other teams, Schumacher has sadly made F1 into a joke, like the WWF wrestling matches in the USA...
Mehboob, England
Let's face it, the finish was the most exciting part of the race by far. It is clear that a staged finish went slightly wrong. I think they did pretty well to finish within 100th of a second of each other - you can't honestly tell me that Schumacher was going to let Barrichello win by that margin!
Gareth Davies, UK
Formula One isn't a sport, it's a club. If you're not in with the right people than that's the end of you. Results like this weekend's are the reason I stopped watching the 'sport' three years ago.
I hope Schumacher and Barrichello are getting a laugh out of their shenanigans at the finish line because those of us who support the sport most certainly aren't. Whatever happened to the idea of a 'race'?
Bill, UK
Ferrari themselves aren't making a farce of F1 (although they would get far more respect if they ditched all the political power games they play and team orders) - it's the FIA.
Please FIA, get a backbone and ban all driver aids, ditch two-way telemetry and limit the amount of aerodynamics that can be employed (like they did in BTCC to great effect). Get back to racing four wheels, an engine, gearbox and chassis rather than computers on wheels.
David, UK
Boring. Insulting to fans. Why can't the Ferraris race each other? F1 is not a sport anymore, its more like staged WWF wrestling. Thanks to the farce this entire season, count me as one less viewer for F1. I used to be a Ferrari fan by the way.
V Varma, UAE
I mean, what a joke. If you are led a race the whole way, just go over the line - never mind slowing down to leave your team-mate through. I have already moved to CART and IRL racing.
Behind the Ferraris it was a good race with some good passing out, but next year I will not be watching all the races. And I will definitely not be getting up to watch the Japanese GP. There is no point.
Niamh Brennan, Ireland
When Ferrari were fined for Austria, they had half of the fine suspended. That should now be claimed. They fixed another race.
Alex Jenkins, London
Why is it that pity always goes to the underdogs? Why don't people maul the McLarens and the Williams of the world for not putting a fight against the Ferrari team?
And talking of the manipulation, it existed before this season also, why didn't people cry hoarse over it then? Though unsporting, the Ferrari move was always in the best interest of the team. Any other person in their shoes wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing.
Ch V Kalyan, India
I placed a bet with on Michael Schumacher to win the American Grand Prix. As I watched it, it became obvious there was only one winner, until the last bend! This was cheating of the highest order. It would be the same as a goalkeeper throwing the ball in his own net in the last minute to give the other team a draw.
Imagine if Martin Pipe had two horses going into the last furlong neck and neck and one of the jockeys pulled it back to let the other win. What about if a cricket team needed ten to win off the last over and the bowler proceeded to bowl wide after wide.
All of these examples are not dissimilar to what happened last night. As it happened, I felt as if I'd been mugged and felt sick. These multi-millionaires 'play the game' and last night they cheated the public, again!
Bookmakers lay the prices as you see them on a level playing field. But it appears this isn't a level playing field and is open to corruption. I feel strongly about this and the whole sport should be ashamed again (remember Austria in April).
A bet is a bet, and if you lose you take it on the chin, I always have. I just can't believe what I saw last night. These people think they're above the sport - if there is a sport left!
Adrian Conway,
UK
Schumi did nothing wrong, all he wanted to do was have a dead heat. Except it didn't work. You could say he was paying Rubens back for Austria, or he was wanting to try something different, as their nearest rivals were nowhere to be seen.
Why do Ferrari always get the blame for F1 being boring? I think Williams and McLaren should be blamed, after all, Ferrari are only doing what they're supposed to do.
Ruth, Scotland
Bernie, you've let the "sport" become a laughing stock. You should have punished Ferrari in Austria - but you just let them get away with it. You wanted to make it big in America - well now you have - the biggest JOKE in motor"racing". Be sure to turn the lights out when you leave Indianapolis!
Mark Robinson, UK
I like to remember the great days of the 80s, the Prost, Senna battles. It's all great history now, no one cares about the sport today - and Bernie is to blame!
Jakii,
Finland
I could only watch with amusement at yesterday's events. I agree that yesterday's finish looked like a rare error from Schumacher, but I would imagine that both drivers had wanted to inject some excitement into the procession that the race had become.
All too often we see Ferrari criticised by Patrick Head, Ron Dennis etc yet I am sure they would love to be in a position to see their drivers in formation finishes at the end of a race.
If Ferrari are accused of making the sport a farce, then I would ask the other teams to attempt to put an end to it by creating some competitive cars that could challenge them.
Tim, UK
After years of being an avid F1 fan, I watched Ferrari once again make up their own rules. Bye, Bye F1.
JMB, UK
I don't know how it is possible to engineer a dead heat between two cars in F1 when they are timed to a thousandth of a second. Sounds near impossible to me, even for Michael Schumacher.
Sham, UK
It's a joke of a sport. It's a joke to even call it a sport. There is little, if any, skill involved in driving these Ferrari jet-propelled engines. You'd get more competition playing the game on the Playstation!
Dave,
Dublin, Ireland
If F1 is boring, it is because of the way it's run and the nature of motor racing. You can't blame the Ferrari team for being good enough to engineer the results they want. They deserve to win the constructors' title.
As for Michael Schumacher, who can argue that he does not deserve to win the drivers' championship. The other teams need to rise to the challenge and try and beat Ferrari on the track, not in the press conference.
Unfortunately, it's still boring to watch, and probably would be even if other teams were competitive. How can you make a 200mph lump of carbon fibre safe as well as exciting? Modern technology is killing F1, and it has been happening for ages.
Dan, UK
Compare and contrast the World Superbike Chmpionship with the latest Formula Yawn race in Indianapolis.
Watch and learn what excites crowds. Wheel to wheel racing, close-run championships, 97,000 enthralled fans...are you watching, Bernie? You and Ferrari have turned F1 into a sporting joke.
Hats off to Honda, Ducati, Edwards and Bayliss for making a motor racing fan very happy.
Andy Pearson, UK
Just about sums up this season! Switch over to CART racing if you are bored....
James, UK
I don't think Ferrari are manipulating anything. First, the decision wasn't Ferrari's, but Schumacher miscalculated or wanted to hand the victory over to his team mate. I can't see all this outrage. Ferrari are just enjoying themselves a bit. It's no one's fault. The other teams are PATHETIC, so it's more fun to race against a competitive car...your team-mate's car!
All this talking about killing the sport...what a load of rubbish. What difference does it make at this stage? Rubens or Michael, it's a Ferrari...it's not like Schumacher handed victory to a rival. It's in the team spirit, they gel perfectly together and the results are brilliant. All this outrage comes from the fact that the other teams like McLaren keep crying instead of doing some serious work.
Loriano, UK