Schuey explains row with marshal

The world champion had just set the quickest time of the day in the wet conditions and was on another hot lap when he spun his Ferrari exiting the Variante Alta. After stalling the car, he was forced to exit the cockpit.

Schumacher wanted to remain near his car, but a marshal insisted he walk along the barrier beside the track to another place of safety. The German protested, but the official insisted.

"The car worked well all day and I am happy with its handling, even if I spun towards the end," he said. "I touched the kerb, it was very slippery and I could do nothing about it.

"As for the discussion I had with the marshal, I felt it was too dangerous to walk along the barrier, which is why I wanted to stay outside the track near the car. But the marshal had been told by race control that I had to move on."

Schumacher and his team-mate Rubens Barrichello set the top two times in the session, as the Bridgestone teams faired better than those on Michelin tyres. "In these conditions the Bridgestones have always seemed very strong and if it stays like this, we could have an advantage," said Schumacher.

The team took the opportunity to try Bridgestone's intermediate tyre as the track dried. With conditions expected to be mixed throughout the weekend, a decision on running dry, wet or intermediate tyres in the race could prove critical.