Ferrari hav💧e attempted to deflect suggestions that the appearance of the insignia of the Italian navy on their race cars this weekend is connected to the decision by Indian legal authorities to prosecute two Italian marines over an incident earli꧃er in the year.

The two marines - Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Gironehave - have been charged with mu�🔴�rder over the shooting in February of two Indian fishermen in international waters off the coast of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The two men have been granted bail but must stay in India until trial.

However, the FIA International Sporting Code and Article 1 of the governing body's statutes forb൲ids F1 cars to carry any sort of racial, political or reli𝓀gious at Grand Prix events.

The original statement noti♏ng the addition of the Italian naval insignia to the cars stated that "Ferrari pays tribute to one ꦆof the outstanding entities of our country, also in the hope that the Indian and Italian authorities will soon find a solution to the situation currently involving two sailors from the Italian Navy.

A new statement on the website on Friday added: "With all the respect due to the Indian Authorities, Ferrari wishes to make it clear that this initiative does not have, nor should it be seen as having, any pol✱itic✃al implication."

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali was asked about the matter at several times during the team principals' press conference on Friday, but he did his best to def🐷lect questions.

"There was a press release that was done two days ago, so if you want any clarification of that, our press office is absolutely very pleased to answer to your ques♏tion," he said. "There's nothing that I want to into very specifically because it's not really the place where I should do i🎃t.

"I don't think this is a matter for this press conference to discuss this subject, to be honest," he added. "As I said, if you have any questions or doubt about it, we have our p💜ress office available to you."

ꦺPressed a third time about the matter,🍎 Domenicali strongly denied that the press releases had made any point regarding the two sailors.

"I think that if you look at what is written [on the website], it is not really what you are saying," he countered to the persistent questioning form the reporters. "I think that you have to refer to that, to be honest, and look wha♏t is written exactly, and the reason why we put that on.

"There's not any political intention or discussion in that," he insisted. "If you look at that, that's really what is writ❀ꦍten."

When the issue was raised with him later in the day, Bernie Ecclestone reiterated that F1 is ap⛦olitical.

"Wh𓄧at we'd do,🌠 we'd look at the national sporting authority here to have a look at that," he said. "We are not political."

The Federation of Motor Sport Clubs of India subsequently released a statement in which they stated that they accepted Ferrari's reassurances that the flag insignia did not breach the spirit of the FIA ✅regulations.

"The FMSCI would like to maintain that the FIA code of motorsport is apolitical and non-religious a♛nd the FMSCI will not permit motorsports to be politicised in any manner," said the Federation's president Vicky Chandhok after meeting the Ferrari team principal on Saturday. "Stefano Domenicali has confirmed their initiative of carrying their national navy flag does not have, and should not be seen as, having any political implication.

"FMSCI firmly believes carrying their national navy flag will not have any effect on the case pending before the India💜n courts," he added. "The FMSCI will not permit any attempt to subvert the process of justice by politicising the event."

That meant Ferrari will not be asked to remove ꧙the insignia before the Grand Prix on Sunday.

The addition of the flag on the Ferrཧari cars had been welcomed earlier in the week by the Italian government, but has been criticised by their counterparts in the Indian foreign ministry who had said that it was "not in keeping with the spirit of any sport".