Schumacher Brushes Off His Critics

World championship leader Michael Schumacher hit back at criticism of his driving on Thursday and said he did not take the accusations seriously.

"Listen," said Schumacher, when asked about comments made by Formula One rivals Eddie Irvine and Jacques Villeneuve.

"These two guys -- I don't take them (the comments) seriously. I don't want to discuss these comments at all, this is not the point for me. Let's talk about serious matters."

Irvine, Schumacher's former Ferrari team mate now with Jaguar, said recently that the German used a bullying and aggressive style.

BAR driver Villeneuve accused the double world champion of being unethical in his approach to racing.

Former champion Villeneuve also supported David Coulthard's claims that Schumacher's approach to racing was not sporting.

Faced by a series of questions on his style -- particularly his habit of swerving across the track at the front of the field at the start, Schumacher said he was not worried.

Clearly irritated by the furore which has followed him this season, particularly over his tactics in trying to prevent a rival overtaking, the German added: "What are we doing here? Are we doing Formula One or are we in a happy family situation when we have coffee together.

Hard But Fair

"We're racing, in a very hard, but fair way, in my view. Nothing else. It has always been like this. If we want to change the rule, then we can discuss it. But don't suggest it is only me that is doing it, which is completely untrue.

"If you look through the field, you see many people doing it, the same guys who are now complaining.

"They have done it in the past as well. They have done it at the start, in the race, under different circumstances -- so I think we can discuss the matter, but don't try to create a story.

"If the rules allow us to fight like this, we will fight like this. It is part of the business."

Schumacher disagreed with Villeneuve and McLaren's championship challenger Coulthard over interpretations of the rules, which permit one 'change of line' when defending a position in a race.

And he said that a meeting in Austria two weeks ago with race director Charlie Whiting had cleared the situation.

"That's why we had that meeting in Austria, before the race, and it was clarified quite clearly from Charlie that what has happened at Imola and what has happened at Magny Cours was totally okay."

Potential For Accident

Coulthard, sitting alongside Schumacher at a pre-German Grand Prix news conference, said: "Every time you start a race there is the potential for an accident, every time the car is out on the track. So I don't think we need to make much more out of just the first 100 metres than what can happen in a whole grand prix.

"As long as we all know what the line is, then we can all go racing. We just needed to know where we stand."

Schumacher, who leads Coulthard by six points in the championship, suggested that other drivers agreed with him.

"Can I say that it's two drivers who have another opinion, as I just mentioned before," he said.

"Jacques and David have a different opinion and the rest don't and Charlie agrees with the rest of the opinions not with the two."