Schumacher: The Low Points

In a stunning attack following Michael Schumacher's retirement announcement, reigning world champion Fernando Alonso - the man who finally broke the German's long reign as title holder - declared his rival "the most unsporting driver in the history of Formula One."

The Spaniard went on to claim that Schumacher has received the most sanctions ever during his racing career and then added: "That doesn't mean he hasn't been the best driver."

Indeed, there is no doubt that controversial actions have always been a significant part of Schumacher's career, arguably because he is an unforgiving and uncompromising pursuer of success. So here are some of Schumacher's most memorable tough times and controversies....

SNATCHED AWAY
Prior to the Italian Grand Prix, September 5, 1991

Schumacher found himself embroiled in controversy a mere 11 days after his Formula One debut. After a stunning performance for Jordan in Belgium, he became the subject of an astonishing contract battle in which Benetton stole him away.

It was not, of course, Schumacher's fault. He just wanted to drive in Formula One, for anyone, and when the front-running Benetton team came knocking and Jordan, first year newcomers, were found not to have any solid contract with Schumacher, it took little time to sort out the switch.

"We have Schumacher on a contract to the end of 1995 with our team with the exception of if Mercedes Benz factory ever did come Grand Prix racing they have the right to reacquire his contract," Tom Walkinshaw, then one of the top bosses at Benetton, explained when the teams reconvened at Monza. Eddie Jordan failed to agree and said his lawyers declared the Jordan team had "two signed legal agreements" with Schumacher and would fight him in the courts.

The German driver was adamant he was not going to get back in one of their green-liveried cars, however, because he was not getting what he wanted. "There were some points where Eddie and me can't agree, or where I can't agree with Eddie, shall we say," said Schumacher. "I cannot accept this. I would not sign a contract that is not good for me. I got a contract from Benetton which was good for me."

And that was it. Schumacher was now racing for a different team, a team that would take him to his first world title.

THE BLACK FLAG INCIDENT
British Grand Prix - July 10, 1994

Needlessly overtaking pole-sitter Damon Hill on the formation lap before the start of the race, Schumacher contravened article 120 of the FIA regulations, even though he allowed the Briton to pass back just one corner later. He was handed a five-second penalty on lap 13 but was then shown the black flag, requesting him to come in immediately, on lap 21.

The flag was shown again on laps 22 and 23, during which time team boss Tom Walkinshaw argued with officials, claiming they had failed to state that the punishment was a stop-go penalty. "It wasn't in the paperwork," said Walkinshaw in the pitlane. "Honestly, sir, it wasn't." With the paperwork corrected, Schumacher eventually came in at the end of lap 27, leaving Hill to race on to an easy victory while Schumacher came home second.

After the race, however, Schumacher and his team spent hours in a meeting room with officials at Silverstone, and he was ultimately disqualified from the race and handed a two-race ban for ignoring the black flag. He appealed, however, and with the case to be heard after the Belgian Grand Prix, he was able to race in front of his home fans at Hockenheim.

WALKING THE PLANK
Belgian Grand Prix - August 28, 1994

The Benetton team continued to court controversy, in the dock again after the German race when they removed a filter from their fuel rig, causing Jos Verstappen's car to erupt in flames during a routine pitstop. When the FIA found out the misdemeanour, Benetton faced exclusion from the championship, although they were later acquitted.

Schumacher won in Hungary but then came Belgium, where he was disqualified again when the stewards deemed the wooden plank underneath his car was illegally thin. The team argued that the German had spun over a kerb during the race and that the plank, only introduced two races previously as part of the safety measures brought in following Ayrton Senna's death earlier in the year, had been worn down in the incident.

But Hill was handed victory and worse still, the International Court of Appeal upheld the two-race ban imposed on Schumacher following the British Grand Prix, putting the German's title ambitions in serious jeopardy.

CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE
Australian Grand Prix - November 13, 1994

The battle for the 1994 world championship was as tight as possible heading into the final round. Ayrton Senna's untimely death at the San Marino Grand Prix in May had left a void in the field and it was one that Schumacher and Briton Damon Hill tried to fill. Schumacher was just one point ahead of his rival when the season came to a climax on Adelaide's tight and twisty street circuit.

The German was in control, leading from the off, when he slid off the track and brushed the wall. Hill, seeing Schumacher was in trouble, challenged the slowing Schumacher on the inside of the next corner but Schumacher turned in and the pair collided. Hill could not carry on because of suspension damage and Schumacher, whose race ended there in the wall, was told the news by a marshal as he watched the race from behind the barriers. He was world champion, but a controversial one.

Many called for Schumacher to explain his actions, but Hill was magnanimous in defeat and Schumacher said: "Damon came over and congratulated me and we talked it over. I did not get the feeling he was bitter about it."

BLOCK STOP
Monaco Grand Prix - May 19, 1996

Schumacher put Gerhard Berger in a spin during a controversial qualifying session and left his rival enraged if not by blocking tactics then by a lack of awareness for others around him. Schumacher had just set the fastest lap of the session when he slowed on the racing line and waved to the crowd. Berger came up on his rival too quickly and was forced to put his car into a deliberate spin to avoid a collision, losing what would have been a front-row qualifying lap. Schumacher thought the session had finished and did not realise Berger was on a flier. He apologised. Berger went to the stewards but no action was taken.

DISGRACE
European Grand Prix, Jerez - October 26, 1997

While questions remain over Schumacher's title-winning collision with Damon Hill in 1994, there are no doubts about his controversial attempt to win the crown in 1997 - he has even admitted as much. Schumacher was leading the race in Jerez, the final round of the year, when championship challenger Jacques Villeneuve made an attempt to pass. Schumacher was having none of it and steered into the side of his rival.

"I was a little bit worried when I overtook Michael," admitted Villeneuve. "I knew I was taking a big risk and I was really surprised when he decided to turn in on me, although it was a little bit expected. I knew Michael was capable of just trying to take me off and that is what he tried to do."

It was an astonishing move, but it did not pay off as his Ferrari ended in the gravel and Villeneuve went on to finish third and claim the crown, but only just. The Williams team later revealed that Schumacher had almost hit a crucial electronic control box on Villeneuve's car. If it had done so, it would have been game over.

"Schumacher had come within one inch of taking Villeneuve's car out of the race," revealed former Benetton man Steve Matchett on Speed TV's website. The FIA took action but the penalty was not popular. They stripped him of his second place in the title race after declaring the move was "instinctive and deliberate, but was not premeditated" and acknowledged his honest successes throughout the season by allowing him to retain all his points and wins from the year. They also made Schumacher take part in a road safety campaign.

The headlines said it all - Das Bild: 'Crazy'; The Telegraph: 'Scandalous'; The Sun: 'Carry on Ramming'. "I have to admit that I did make a mistake," said Schumacher. "I did what I did and I have to accept the penalty. Now I understand what I did." Understand, yes. Regret? No. Even almost four years later Schumacher admitted he still did not regret the incident.

"I grew up with Ayrton Senna and remember incidents with Alain Prost and Senna," he told the BBC. "It was part of the game. I knew it was not right, but this was an important moment. It was everything or nothing, and you go for it."

SIDESWIPE
Canadian Grand Prix - June 7, 1998

In a race full of incident, Schumacher took centre stage. After starting third he was in the lead when he made his first stop but when he came out of the pits he failed to see the Williams of Heinz-Harald Frentzen closing down on him, nor did he see the warning flags - and he drove straight into the side of his German rival.

"If it was due to me, I really have to excuse myself," said Schumacher. "I looked to the right and didn't see anyone. I really have to look at video. I have no clue what happened to this moment." Schumacher was blamed, of course, and was handed a 10-second stop-go penalty, dropping him down to third.

That put him behind his old rival Hill, who by now was driving for Jordan, and with Schumacher cleary in the faster car he tried to find a way past as soon as possible. Thus followed a dramatic scrap in which Hill blocked Schumacher three times before the German found a way around. Schumacher was fuming.

"You don't want to hear the words I thought in that moment," said Schumacher. "That's purely dangerous. If someone wants to kill you, they can do that in a different way. I was so angry with him. I wonder why he doesn't get a penalty for doing things like that. That's completely impossible for such an experienced man to do such things. I can't handle that. I will handle it later."

Hill claimed he was just giving as good as he had got from Schumacher throughout his career and added: "I was not going to let second or third place go that easily, so I enjoyed some racing with Michael." Schumacher went on to pass Fisichella through the pit stops and claimed his 30th career win.

WIN IN THE PITS
British Grand Prix - July 12, 1998

Schumacher looked down and out when he was handed a 10-second penalty after overtaking Alexander Wurz under yellow flags in trecherous conditions, but the race turned on its head as fortunes favoured the German driver. The delivery of the penalty was slow, and when it arrived Ferrari were unsure what it meant. "It is plus ten seconds, or we must stop?" team boss Jean Todt asked a steward on pit wall before a fellow Ferrari team member pointed to the wording in the written statement declaring it a time penalty.

They had, however, been given the wrong penalty and they were given the right one later than the rules allowed. They brought Schumacher in on his final lap and he crossed the finish line in the pits. Everyone was confused and when Schumacher jumped out of the car, a shrug of the shoulders showed he was as baffled as anyone. "You came in and apparently you were ten seconds ahead of him or something. I don't know...," a confused Eddie Irvine told his teammate.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis was confused too. "We were not advised there was a penalty imposed," he said. "Normally you are informed. We were pacing Mika [Hakkinen]. The penalty was taken after the start-finish line, which seems to be wrong." Schumacher could not even point out the infringement which led to the penalty.

"I don't even remember I passed him because you don't even see because of the spray, and that is the reason you don't see the flags," he said. "You are lucky to see the road. We now have to clarify what we should have done." The rulebooks came out and Schumacher was judged the victor, although the race stewards were reprimanded by the governing body.

WHACK UP THE BACK
Belgian Grand Prix - August 30, 1998

Schumacher was coping with terrible conditions after torrential rain left the Spa-Francorchamps circuit awash when his race, and his car, was torn apart. Hidden by the spray, David Coulthard's slow-moving McLaren was suddenly unavoidable and the German smashed into it. Schumacher was enraged and suggested his Scottish rival had deliberately got in his way and had "wanted to kill me."

One day later he had not cooled off and said: "I don't think I've ever been as angry as I am now. It was so clear that we would lead the championship after this race. Why was David lapping at around 2:10 and when I showed up behind him, he began to lap at around 2:16? And why did he slow so suddenly? I think that this is a strange thing. I was forced to crash. Is there any connection with the fact that I'm challenging his teammate for the title?"

LEG BREAK
British Grand Prix - July 11, 1999

Schumacher's 1999 season was brought to an abrupt halt at Silverstone's Stowe corner with one of the biggest crashes of his career. Unaware that the organisers had just red-flagged the race due to an earlier incident, the German was tustling for position with teammate Eddie Irvine on the opening lap when his brakes failed and he ploughed straight into the tyre barriers.

The German hit the barrier at 107km/h, snapping his leg and tearing his title chances apart. "It looks a lot worse from behind the steering wheel," said Schumacher after seeing the video in Northampton General hospital. "The really scary part was when I found I was trapped in the car for almost four minutes. It was the first time that has ever happened to me in Formula One, and it was very unpleasant. I am lucky to be alive."

COULTHARD CONFRONTATION
Japanese Grand Prix - October 31, 1999

Suzuka saw another round of the uneasy relationship between Coulthard and Schumacher, when the German accused his McLaren rival of weaving in front of him, suggesting that the Scot may have been doing it deliberately for the sake of the championship.

Schumacher could not resist a pop and said: "David obviously had problems with his car. He started zig-zagging in front of me to slow me down. It was very dangerous and I was very disappointed to see a driver like him behave in this way. When you are a lap down you must move over and I don't understand why McLaren would do this sort of thing. I believed David when he said the accident at Spa was a mistake. Now I am not so sure."

Coulthard felt Schumacher had gone one step over the line and threatened legal action in an unsavoury end to the season. "Michael has slandered my image in public," said the Scot. "Maybe he thinks he is on a different level to the other drivers, but he should watch what he says. While I respect Michael as a driver, I no longer respect him as a man."

ROLL WITH IT
Australian Grand Prix Practice - March 2, 2001

It was certainly not the way Schumacher had planned to start the defence of his third world crown. In preparation for the first race of the season at Albert Park, he lost control of his Ferrari and hit a kerb that flew him into the air and sent him barrell-rolling into a gravel trap. It was a dramatic crash, but Schumacher said: "It was a soft landing and I am not hurt, but it is not the type of thing you want."

He blamed the height of the kerb and a delay by marshals to put out yellow flags but put the incident behind him and went on to claim pole and victory in a race that was marred by a marshal's death. "We are all shocked," said Schumacher after the race. "We regret what has happened and although we have made very good improvements...it is not sufficient to improve just driver safety but also save the lives of other people involved."

BROTHERLY LOVE, PART I
European Grand Prix - June 24, 2001

Schumacher had become known for his infamous swerve starts ('Chop Shuey') but he almost went too far when he took on his brother as the pair battled for supremacy off the line in their homeland at the Nurburgring. Michael was on pole and he steered right across on Ralf, almost pushing him into the wall. Ralf's only way out of a major collision was to back off, which he duly did, leaving Schumacher to cruise off to victory.

It could have been the start of a feud, but the two brothers quickly put it behind them. "Maybe from the outside it looks unfair but that's the way the rules are," Michael said after the race. Ralf was spotted having a firm chat with his brother after the race but later said he would have done just the same.

TO RACE OR NOT TO RACE
Italian Grand Prix - September 16, 2001

The world was on edge after the World Trade Centre tragedy in the United States on September 11, and a few days later the Formula One community came together at Monza for an emotion-filled race. "Everyone is emotionally very down," said Schumacher. "It is a weekend when a lot of things are not right and you should question whether we should race here."

There was debate on that very question right up until the start of the race, not only because of the terror attacks but also a bad two weeks for the racing community that had seen Luciano Burti lucky to escape alive from a crash in Belgium and Alex Zanardi left in critical condition following a crash at the Lausitzring in a CART race that Saturday.

At a circuit where a fire marshal was killed the previous year, Schumacher pleaded with his fellow racers to at least commit to a controlled no-overtaking start to the race. He failed, but fortunately there were no incidents and Schumacher finished fourth.

"I am glad this weekend is over," he said. Thoughts then turned to the next race, in the United States, and there were serious doubts over whether Schumacher would go on. There were even claims he was considering his retirement. But later he would admit: "Ferrari even in Monza was very open and said if I feel it's not the right time to race, they would leave the decision with me. I felt kind of obliged to race in Monza for all the Italians to see.

"On the other side, I never really had a doubt if things would improve and sort of come back to normal life, not to race in Indy. That was never a doubt for me. As things had improved and had come back to normal life, that's why I'm here and I keep racing."

MESSING WITH MONTOYA I
Malaysian Grand Prix - March 17, 2002

Juan Pablo Montoya made his Grand Prix debut in 2001 and immediately targeted Schumacher. The pair became close competitors but often their relationship boiled over following some hard racing. In this, one of the early incidents, Schumacher made a controversial trademark swerving start to block Montoya, who started alongside him on the front row, but the Colombian was having none of it, took the outside line and the pair collided.

"I left Michael enough room to get through but his car understeered and he ran into me," said Montoya. "It was just an accident. He could have got through. I didn't expect him to brake, he is a racing driver, but I didn't think he would drive into me." Schumacher defended himself and said that Montoya had "squeezed" him and added: "I really didn't have room to get by." A reasonably amicable end...for now.

MESSING WITH MONTOYA II
Brazilian Grand Prix - March 31, 2002

Just two weeks after their Malaysian collision Schumacher was alongside Montoya on the front row once again and sparks were bound to fly. Montoya went wide at the first corner but came back and challenged on the back straight and ploughed straight into the back of the Ferrari. Montoya was enraged and blamed Schumacher entirely.

"I was slipstreaming behind him when he lifted off in the middle of the straight," claimed Montoya. "We were doing over 300km/h at that point and I had no way of avoiding the collision. He knew that. It's an intolerable attitude." Stern words from the Colombian, but Schumacher seemed baffled by his rival's mood.

"I don't know what Juan Pablo has against me," he said, with a hint of a smile. "I think I left him enough room to pass. I don't really see what he is complaining about." Mind games. And they worked. At the next race, everyone was talking about the rivalry and Montoya came up trumps, as he always did, with the goods. "It's good to know you can do something like this without getting a penalty," he exclaimed. "If Michael treats me like this I will do the same to him."

TEAM TACTICS
Austrian Grand Prix - May 12, 2002

After putting in a fantastic performance at the A1-Ring, Rubens Barrichello led Schumacher in a Ferrari one-two. Then Barrichello slowed. As the pair came up to the final corner, he let Schumacher slip by and take the win. Nobody could quite believe it. Ferrari had chosen to arrange the result in a firm and some said openly arrogant demonstration of their dominance.

Just six races into the year, the Italian team were in control and Schumacher was already 42 points ahead of Barrichello in the title race. But points, the pitwall decided, were still crucial for Schumacher even at this early stage, so they asked Barrichello to move over "for the championship."

There was outrage. The pair were booed on the podium, especially when Schumacher pushed rightful winner Barrichello up to the top step, and they were booed in the press conference, when the Brazilian took centre stage. But it was all Ferrari's doing, and Schumacher was clearly dismayed and embarrassed.

"Obviously I am not happy with the way things went," said Schumacher as he fended off an hour-long barrage of aggressive and sometimes offensive questions. "I take no satisfaction from this win, especially the way things have gone so far. It was a team decision. I thank Rubens for the points, but take no pleasure from the win. In general, I agree with team tactics, but not particularly with today's. But I could do nothing about it.

"After I was told, I was even considering disobeying and letting Rubens win. When he slowed down I did the same but he braked and I was past him before I could even think about it. It all happened very fast. If I could, I would turn back the clock and reverse the result."

But there was no turning back and although the FIA could not fault the team order decision, they fined Ferrari, Schumacher and Barrichello $1 million (USD), with half suspended, because of the choreographed podium ceremony. Commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone said: "I do not like what I saw, and I was angry with the way Ferrari handled the situation."

HANDING IT BACK
United States Grand Prix - September 29, 2002

After the uproar in Austria, nobody believed something like that would happen again. But as Schumacher led Barrichello to the line at the famous Brickyard on the final lap, he lifted off in an attempt to stage a photo finish, and whether deliberately or not, let his teammate pass.

Barrichello won by 0.011 seconds. Schumacher later excused it as simply righting a wrong, handing back the victory that he had been given in the Austrian hills months earlier. "I think life is to be honest and to be fair," he said. "That's what I want to be. I will now sleep better."

To the fans and media, though, it was a case of two wrongs do not make a right. More boos followed, along with angry cries of 'rip-off' from the crowd. 'Stop making a mockery of Formula One,' said German newspaper Bild. 'You are ruining your sport, Schumi.'

MESSING WITH MONTOYA III
European Grand Prix - June 29, 2003

Montoya was at it again when, with 17 laps of the race remaining, he tried to muscle past at turn seven and forced Schumacher into a spin. But it was Schumacher who was criticised first off after he received a push to get him back in the race and score vital points with a fifth-place finish. There were calls for his disqualification, but the rulse state that a driver is allowed outside assistance to return to the track if his car is in a dangerous position.

The collision, meanwhile, was investigated by the stewards and drew criticism from Ferrari technical chief Ross Brawn. "There are some drivers who have class about them, Mika Hakkinen was one of them," he said.

"He and Michael had some great situations and they never came off track. Montoya could have put them both out the race today. It was just a very crude overtaking manoeuvre and he has done it several times. He is not a very classy driver." Schumacher defended Montoya against Brawn's comments, declaring the collision a racing accident.

MESSING WITH MONTOYA IV
San Marino Grand Prix - April 25, 2004

Imola saw another first-lap incident between Schumacher and Montoya, when the Williams driver tried to get the jump on his rival. It made for an entertaining start and Montoya, who went on to finish third as Schumacher claimed the win, was left fuming at a missed opportunity. "Michael had a poor start and I went to pass him but he closed the door twice then came straight at me, hit me and put me on the grass," explained Montoya, sitting right beside race winner Schumacher in the post-race press conference.

"It's disappointing to have racing like that and I will be surprised if he gets away with it." There were no punishments, however, and no apologies from Schumacher either. Asked if he had a reply to Montoya's complains he simply said: "No." But he did have an explanation. "I saw Juan coming on my right but I didnt see him again after that."

Not good enough for Montoya, who was handed a penalty for a similar incident at Indianapolis the previous year, one which potentially cost him the world championship. "What is allowed and what isn't has to be clearly defined and the same rules applied to everyone whether his name is Michael Schumacher or not," he added.

MESSING WITH MONTOYA V
Monaco Grand Prix - May 23, 2004

With the safety car out in front of the field, the cars coasted around the Monaco circuit with little incident. Until, that is, Schumacher started to warm up his tyres and brakes by alternately braking and accelerating. As he led the field through the tunnel, Schumacher braked suddenly and Montoya hit the rear of the Ferrari, putting Schumacher in the barrier. It was a controversial incident and one that saw Schumacher's first retirement in more than a year. It also prevented him from becoming the first driver to win the first six races of a season.

Montoya, of course, was immediately critical and said: "He should have done it in a different place - not in the middle of the tunnel. I moved off-line to try not to hit him and he came over exactly to where I was. I didn't have anywhere else to go."

Schumacher claimed it was Montoya's mistake, though, and told RTL television: "I tried to warm the tyres as well as brakes because we knew the Safety Car was going off. This braking and accelerating is the normal way to get your tyres warm. I don't think anyone should accuse him of anything intentional. It was just a bit stupid of him to wrongly estimate the situation that led to a collision. No doubt about it that I'm a bit angry, that's logical."

BROTHERLY LOVE, PART II
Monaco Grand Prix - May 22, 2005

It had been a tough run of races, seven without a win, and things were just not going right for Schumacher. Nothing changed in Monaco as he had the misfortune of crashing into David Coulthard's Red Bull and getting blocked to a halt when Christijan Albers spun his Minardi on lap 25. Yet, determined to score points with a car that was performing well, he never gave up until he was past the chequered flag.

He overtook teammate Barrichello in an aggressive move at the chicane on the final lap then passed his brother Ralf for seventh place within inches of the line. Needless to say his two rivals were far from impressed and Ralf even called his brother "crazy." The German sibling was fuming and added: "He could have switched his brain on before he tried that move. One more millimetre and one of us could have been dead. Sometimes Michael is just not right in the head."

Family frustration blew over quickly but the move on Barrichello caused a rift within Ferrari that never healed. "I don't want to destablilise the team but I have spoken to Michael and Jean Todt," said Barrichello, who agreed a race deal for 2006 with BAR soon after. "A few years ago I wouldn't have said anything and I don't suppose this will change anything."

Schumacher was not interested. "I didn't think there was much risk involved in the moves," he said. "I am a full-blooded racer, that is why I am here. Do they think I came here just for a Sunday afternoon outing?"

INDY-CISION
United States Grand Prix - June 19, 2005

The sight of six Bridgestone cars taking the start at Indianapolis was nothing short of shameful. After problems with the Michelin tyres, all runners using the French company's rubber pulled out on the formation lap, effectively handing the race to Schumacher even before the green light.

But it was what happened before that moment, in a small room in the centre of the Indianapolis paddock, that was most shameful. The team bosses could not thrash out a solution, then the drivers turned up to have a go - all drivers, that is, except the ones from Ferrari. Soon after they arrived too.

Initial plans to put in a chicane to slow the cars were being mulled over, along with other options. What was discussed in that room, however, will remain unknown, as will the level of Ferrari's co-operation, or lack, thereof. In the end, Schumacher won, his only win of the season, but it was hugely tainted.

"This was a strange race, there's no question about it," said Schumacher. "It's a bit of a shame that my first win came about this way. Especially because I think that we would have had good chances of winning even under regular circumstances, and would have liked to have shown that.

"It wasn't our fault that the circumstances were the way they were. I know that many people are trying to put the blame on Ferrari, but we did nothing wrong. We are not the point of reference in regard to this issue, and as of my understanding some of the other drivers said an extra chicane would not have helped matters, anyway."

CRASH OF CONVENIENCE
Monaco Grand Prix - May 28, 2006

Schumacher had just set the fastest lap of the session in qualifying for this race in Monte Carlo, when he went wide at La Rascasse, missed the wall but stalled his engine. With his car in a dangerous position, the yellow flags were brought out and ruined rival Fernando Alonso's efforts to better his time.

Schumacher and his team denied any deliberate action to hamper Alonso but the FIA saw different, stripped him of his laptimes and put him to the back of the grid. Former world champion Keke Rosberg led the insults, calling the German "a cheap cheat" and adding: "He should leave Formula One to honest people. I thought he had grown up. Does he think we are all fools and idiots?"

Flavio Briatore, Schumacher's former boss, said he knew Schumacher had cheated, while Villeneuve claimed it was as bad as the Ferrari man's infamous actions in Jerez in 1997, when he drove into Villeneuve's car. "He should have to give back his superlicense if he thinks he can just say it was a mistake," said the Canadian.

Schumacher defended himself and said: "I can understand that from the outside things might seem a bit strange but if you don't have all the information you cannot give an appropriate judgement. I am sorry that Fernando's lap was ruined but it was definately not my intention to do that. But I have been in Formula One for 16 years now and I have got used to living with this sort of situation."

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