Michael Schumacher has apologised to Rubens Barrichello for almost forcing him into a concrete wall during the Hungarian grand prix. The apology arrived 25 days after the incident, and Barrichello took delivery of it on his mobile phone, but it still counts as a rare act of contrition from the German.
Schumacher, who will start 10 places back on the grid here on Sunday as his punishment for the incident, had already expressed regret on his website, where he wrote: “The manoeuvre against him was too hard. I didn’t want to endanger him with my manoeuvre. If he had this feeling I am sorry, this was not my intention.”
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But now the seven-times world champion has apologised for the first time to the Brazilian, who this weekend in Belgium will be celebrating his 300th grand prix [the next highest is Riccardo Patrese’s 257]. Barrichello, 38, said yesterday: “I received a message from him today, an SMS. Somebody said to him that I was under the impression he had pushed me on to the wall, and he said it wasn’t the case and he apologised for that. I just said ‘thank you, no problem’. I accepted it, wished him a good weekend, life goes on.” The Guardian
Schumacher said: “There were two reasons I sent the text. One of the main reasons is that it is his 300th Grand Prix and we have quite a lot of history together so I thought it was appropriate to congratulate him.
“Secondly, to clarify the point because he sort of felt that I wanted to push him against the wall and very clearly this was not my ambition.
“I wanted to race very tightly but without any contact. If he felt that this was the case then I am sorry for that.” AFP
With Mercedes out of the championship picture and already planning for 2011 with its development, Schumacher was still looking forward to his return to the flowing, high-speed circuit in the Ardennes countryside.
“We have to see where we can use the strengths that the car has. We have to maximize our opportunities,” Schumacher said. “Naturally, we want to still take as many points as possible to stay up in the constructors.” The Canadian Press
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