Schumacher defends bullied Bernoldi

Schumacher's main rival Coulthard spent almost 35 laps trying to get past Bernoldi in Monte Carlo, potentially ruining the Scotsman's chances of fighting for the lead. McLaren boss Ron Dennis confronted the Arrows driver in the pitlane after the race and Coulthard called him an idiot and said his blocking moves were unacceptable.

In the run-up to this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, however, Schumacher says Bernoldi did nothing wrong and did exactly the job he was paid to do.

"I think Enrique did everything right," said Schumacher. "He did nothing that was against the rules. If I had been in the same situation, for sure I would have been frustrated as well but that's the way it goes, sometimes you have to accept these circumstances.

"When you can't pass the driver in front, you can't - there is nothing you can do about it. There is no need to be even 50 per cent against Enrique. He did everything he was allowed to do. The FIA [motorsport's governing body] are there to judge if he did things right or wrong and they judged it fine, therefore I don't see the argument. So there should be no people against him."

Schumacher also criticised Dennis who is thought to have told Bernoldi that he would not last long in Formula 1 if he continued to behave in that manner on the track. Some have interpreted that as a threat but the McLaren team chief has denied it - and said he was not even angry when he and Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug spoke to Bernoldi.

"When I heard two or three days after the race that he had been approached by a team principal I have no understanding about that," said Schumacher. "They should know the rules and act with the rules and not do what was done."