Former world champion Jackie Stewart believes Michael Schumacher should have ignored team orders in his controversial victory at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Schumacher overtook race leader and Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello in the last few yards of Sunday's race.

Barrichello and Schumacher had obeyed team orders to let the number one driver win but Stewart believes the defending champion should have disregarded them.

"The manner in which it was all conducted was very embarrassing.

"It didn't look good for motor racing. Rubens drove an impressive race and it was a PR blunder more than anything else.

"Michael could easily have disregarded the instruction.

"He has more power in Ferrari than any single man I have ever known in all of my career in motorsport as a watcher of Ferrari.

"It could have been altered by Michael's personal initiative, he could have said it on the radio."

However, Stewart hopes Ferrari are not punished too harshly.

Fans deprived

The sport's governing body, the FIA, has called Ferrari, Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello to a 26 June hearing to explain events during and after the grand prix.

The FIA has the power to either dock points or issue a ban to Ferrari or any one of their drivers.

But Stewart has appealed for the governing body to show lenience as any ban would come into force for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone - depriving fans of their chance to see a full race.