Ferrari rue weekend to forget

Schumacher crashed out of the race on lap 33 when he went off at the start of the main straight when trying to pass Honda's Jenson Button for fourth.

The German, who struggled for pace during a part of the race due to problems with this tyres, wrecked his car when he slammed into a wall entering the home straight.

"I was pushing to the maximum to try and close on Jenson and pass him," said Schumacher. "Probably he had some problems as he was not very quick. I tucked in behind him and unexpectedly I got some heavy understeer and finished on the grass.

"I had to push, because that's the part of the track where it's possible to pass. Today, our main problem was keeping the tyres up to temperature, especially in the first part of the race and also because there were a few safety car periods.

"We had chosen this compound specifically for the race, and once they reached the right operating temperature, they were going well, as was obvious after the pitstop. At first, it was difficult to drive, as after locking the wheels a few times the tyres were completely finished. It's clear we have a lot of work to do."

Schumacher's teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa crashed on the first lap, completing a miserable weekend for the Maranello-based outfit.

Massa said Red Bull's Christian Klien was to blame for the crash.

"Not much to say...At the first turn, I had Klien on my left and Speed on my right," Massa said. "Christian touched me, which spun me around and to the right, then I hit Rosberg and ended up in the barrier. There was nothing I could do as I was basically a passenger in my car.

"I am very unhappy because I am sure I could have had a good race. It's been a weekend to forget. Now we must turn the page and work to be as well prepared as possible for Imola."