Schumacher Feeling Sorry for Barrichello

World Champion Michael Schumacher has showed his support to teammate Rubens Barrichello after a disappointing start of the season for the Brazilian.

Barrichello has retired from all three races so far this year, and in all three events, the Ferrari driver was in the lead. At last Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, local hero Barrichello suffered a mechanical failure while he was running in first place, leaving him point-less once more.

Schumacher, who in Brazil used the new F2002 chassis while his Brazilian teammate had to use the revised F2001, has expressed his sympathy for Barrichello, and said he is confident he will have a strong season despite the weak start.

"I am really sorry for Rubens," said Schumacher. "I am lost for words for what happened to him. For the second race in a row Rubens made a great start and once again he was not rewarded for it. He had fought his way into the lead before something failed.

"It really does seem as though his home race is not a lucky one for him. But Rubens is going very well this year and soon he too will have the new car and that means both of us will be very strong and competitive for the rest of the season."

Schumacher won the Brazilian Grand Prix ahead of his brother Ralf in the Williams after clashing again with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya at the start of the event.

The duo were also involved in an incident in Malaysia two weeks earlier, and if at Sepang both lost several positions, in Brazil Montoya lost out as he was forced to change his front wing while his rival continued in the lead.

The Williams driver, who went on to finish in fifth place, accused Schumacher of being an unfair driver after the Brazilian incident, but the German has claimed he was not at fault, and that the race stewards had agreed with him.

"It's easy to make rash remarks immediately after a race," Schumacher said. "The stewards certainly would have watched the incident several times and as they took no action, one can assume they saw things differently to Juan Pablo."