Schumacher Blames Fisichella for Accident

Championship leader Michael Schumacher blamed Giancarlo Fisichella on Sunday for their opening lap collision at the German Grand Prix.

It was the second time in two races that both drivers had retired at the first corner.

"Somebody bumped into me from behind again and I didn't get a chance to have a race," said Schumacher, whose similar accident two weeks ago in Austria was triggered by Brazil's Ricardo Zonta.

This time it was Italian Fisichella's Benetton that collided into the rear of the German's Ferrari, leaving him with four non-finishes in the last five races.

"Fisichella came from behind and he is the person to watch out for cars in front of him," said the German. "There is a limit to what you can do and you have to adapt to circumstances and he clearly didn't do that good enough."

Briton David Coulthard, starting on pole position, swerved across the track when the lights went out in what could have been interpreted as payback for Schumacher's controversial starts in previous races.

But the two-times world champion made it clear the McLaren driver had done nothing wrong.

"Listen, I am out of the race not because of David. I am out of the race for Fisichella," he said. "That is what you can say about it."

Schumacher, criticised by some other drivers for his aggressive style in the run-up to the race, was trying to find a way past the Briton when Fisichella hit the back of his car.

"I was turning into the corner from the outside line to get a nice exit for the long straight to get a run at Coulthard and then I was bumped off from the back," he said.

Coulthard, who finished third behind his McLaren team mate Mika Hakkinen in a race won by Brazil's Ruben Barrichello in another Ferrari, defended his move, saying: "I just wanted to make it as difficult as possible for others to pass me."

Fisichella Apologised

Barrichello's victory limited damage for Schumacher, who still saw his championhip melt to just to points on the two McLaren drivers, now both on 54.

Fisichella defended himself from the criticism.

"I was on my line and then suddenly Michael's car was right in front of my front wheel so I went into the back of it," he said.

"I think we should really decide in the rules about whether a driver should stick to his line or not because like it it's just a waste of a race. And it could have been a good one."

Schumacher said Fisichella did come to apologise "but that didn't help a lot. You can take that kind of thing once but not twice. Going that way out of a race in Germany makes me a bit angry, and very sad."

The German was eager to bounce back with a second win in his home Grand Prix after 1995 -- and the first for Ferrari.

His crash shocked the 84,000 fans lining the German circuit on a rainy day, who had reason to hope their hero would win after he was second fastest in qualifying with a daring drive on a wet track with seconds remaining on Saturday.

"I really had a good feeling," said Schumacher, who was close to tears immediately after his accident but later put on a brave face as he went to congratulate Barrichello.

"The car was going well and I felt I was in with a great chance," he added.

Victory would have been even sweeter as he missed the race last year after breaking his leg in the British Grand Prix three weeks earlier.

Now he must fear that his attempt to win Ferrari's first drivers' title since 1979 could fall apart for the fourth consecutive year. "There's still a long way to go," he said. "But this obviously doesn't help."