Ferrari await stewards' decision

The stewards decided to investigate the incident Schumacher was involved in during the dying seconds of the final qualifying session, after the Ferrari driver made a dubious error at the Rascasse corner.

The incident caused several drivers to slow down on their final flying laps, and Renault's Fernando Alonso claimed he would have grabbed pole position if not for the yellow flags.

Schumacher was at the stewards office following qualifying, and now the German will have to wait to know if he manages to keep his pole postilion.

"We are now waiting to hear the stewards' decision," a Ferrari spokesperson told autosport.com.

Across the paddock, drivers and team bosses, as well as former F1 stars, were critical of Schumacher, and suggestions are now made that the German will be ousted from the head of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who steered Schumacher to his first two titles at Benetton, was very critical of the German.

"I think he is taking everyone for a ride," he told reporters. "Someone who was seven times a world champion wants us to believe that he didn't do it on purpose, it's fairyland.

"And given that we are not Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, I think that what he did was unsporting and against everything...It's really astonishing what he did. Incredible."

A Renault spokesman said however the team had not made a formal protest because an investigation was already in process.