Ralf admits to Williams rift

When it was put to him in Monaco that Williams insiders had suggested in the German media that he was not the same driver since his testing shunt at Monza last year, Schumacher replied: "Patrick [Head] said that. If he had the kindness to show me that and explain it, then it would be good, not just spreading rumour for no reason. For me, it's nonsense and nothing else."

Talking about the likelihood of his leaving Williams, with some commentators even predicting that it could happen before the end of this year, Schumacher said: "At the moment both sides have reason to be looking at other options, to be honest. If we look at it, both drivers are not in a very good position for the championship, so it's not only the drivers.

"Both drivers expected to go for the championship this year with our package, and we aren't. But we are working hard to turn it around and we should just be trying to get the best out of the car without blaming people for whatever reason."