Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone distanced himself from “political” matters after Ferrari put Italian naval flags on their cars at the Indian Grand Prix in protest at India’s arrest of two marines.

Ecclestone said the issue would be better dealt with by India’s national motorsports association, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), stressing that Formula One was not a political body.

“What we’d do, we’d look at the national sporting authority (FMSCI) here to have a look at that… we are not political,” Ecclestone said in New Delhi.

Two navy personnel were imprisoned in India in March, and later bailed, following the fatal shooting of two fishermen mistaken for pirates trying to attack an oil tanker the Italians were protecting.

The team said on its website ferrari.com: “Scuderia Ferrari will carry the flag of the Italian Navy on the cars driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa in this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix.

“In doing so, Ferrari pays tribute to one of 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.”

The Italian team’s decision was applauded by Italy’s minister for Foreign Affairs, Giulio Terzi.

Terzi wrote on his Twitter account: “Congratulations to Ferrari for displaying the the Navy’s symbol at the India GP. It will show the sailors the whole country is behind them.”

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone shot the fishermen off India’s southwestern coast on February 15.

The marines said the fishermen’s boat behaved suspiciously and ignored warning shots while approaching the Italian oil tanker.

They denied murder and were later released on bail but are still awaiting the outcome of the case.