It is a subject for which there is no sitting on the fence, no middle ground - one that this week has cleaved Formula One in two. You are either a purist and in favour of team orders, believing that as a team sport there is a place for a marque determining where and how their drivers should finish in a race.

After all team orders have existed since the world championship was created 60 years ago, with one of the most famous incidents occurring in 1958.

That was when Ferrari - who else? - ordered Phil Hill to allow by team-mate Mike Hawthorn to claim the second place he needed in the final race in Casablanca to pip race winner Stirling Moss to the title by a single point.

But then the cry from the detractors is that was 52 years ago, a different era, that time and the sport have moved on and ethics are now far more important.

The viewing public, be it in the grandstands or at home watching on television, want to believe that what they are watching is sport at its most transparent, that a result was not manufactured.

It is why there was such an uproar following the German Grand Prix on July 25 when Ferrari clumsily mismanaged a team order via coded messages.

When Felipe Massa's race engineer, Rob Smedley, told the Brazilian team-mate Fernando Alonso was faster, not once, but twice to ensure he understood the meaning, the inference was clear.

On lap 49 of 66, and despite having led up until that point, Massa gave way to Alonso, who went on to claim a victory that now carries a stain, and may taint a title should he go on to win it.

Ferrari broke the rule that states 'team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited'.

The fact they were fined 100,000 US dollars by the stewards after the race - a punishment upheld on Thursday by the World Motor Sport Council - clearly implies they were guilty.

It was, however, a triumph for Ferrari, notably for the fact that the regulation has now been referred to the Formula One Sporting Working Group for perusal at the end of the season.

The likelihood is the rule will be abolished and teams will again be free to dictate who wins and loses within their organisation, such as in the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.

Will fans again be able to stomach witnessing a driver pulling up before a finish line to allow by a team-mate, as Rubens Barrichello did for Michael Schumacher on that occasion, sparking fury and the imposition of the regulation in the first place?

It is hard to imagine them doing so, but that is the road F1 finds itself heading towards.

And what now for the remainder of the season as the FIA failed to send out a message that further incidents will not be tolerated?

It means McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari can call the shots with their drivers knowing the only punishment coming their way will be a 100,000 US dollars fine.

But then we are led to believe team orders, by far less bumbling methods than those employed by Ferrari, have been in existence these past eight seasons since the rule banning them came into force.

Basically if there is a will there is a way, so they might as well legalise team orders.

Personally I believe in the essence of competition and would prefer not to see them re-introduced, but then I don't make the rules.

On the subject of law and order in Formula One, one of the FIA's more inspired ideas was to appoint former drivers to the stewards' panel for each grand prix weekend this season.

The likes of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert have lent a touch of common sense to the decision making regarding various incidents, including the Hockenheim affair.

Rob Huff could have done with such an expert on his side in the opening race of the World Touring Car Championship double-header in Oschersleben at the weekend.

Starting from second on the grid behind BMW's Antonio Farfus, Huff was accused of shoving the Brazilian off line going into the tight left-right hander barely 150 metres from the front of the grid.

Replays showed Chevrolet's Huff himself was bumped from behind, the 30-year-old then nudging Farfus who dropped to fourth from pole.

Common sense, though, on this occasion did not prevail and Huff was hit with a drive-through penalty, his disgust apparent as he chose to ignore it and was ultimately black flagged.

It was a poor decision that almost certainly cost him a potential second place, and with it his shot at the title.

Huff will likely be wondering when the FIA follow their own lead in F1 and appoint a former driver to the stewards' panel in the WTCC.