A war of words has broken out between Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher, after the Brazilian described the move made on him by his former team-mate at the Hungarian Grand Prix as “the most dangerous thing” he had experienced.
The German racer was penalised 10 grid places at the next Formula One race in Belgium on August 29 for illegitimately impeding the Williams driver at the Hungaroring near Budapest.
Four laps from the finish, Schumacher in his Mercedes squeezed Barrichello up against the concrete barrier as the Brazilian tried to pass him on the start-finish straight.
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The near-miss left Barrichello shaken and after the race he was asked if it was the most dangerous manoeuvre he had ever witnessed.
“It was,” he said. “It was the most dangerous thing I’ve ever been through and I’m sorry for that.”
Barrichello, who spent six seasons playing second fiddle to Schumacher at Ferrari, later added he had been lucky to walk away from the race. Sky News
The Brazilian said: “I am lucky to be alive. It was a go-kart manoeuvre.”
“If he wants to go to heaven, in the event he is going to heaven, I don’t want to go before him.”
“Thank God I was lucky the wall finished where it did because I was millimetres from it.”
“What we want from racing is to have battles but to be fair.”
Barrichello has had a string of run-ins with Schumacher over the years - including while they raced side-by-side at Ferrari. The Sao Paulo flier added: “He’s taking something from the past into the present and there’s no need for that. His view is I’m a big cryer.
“I won’t speak to him because it won’t resolve things. You know Michael. He will always feel that he is right.
“But I’m a just guy and justice was done in a way because he has been away for three years and he hasn’t changed a thing. He is still the same guy. What has been done to me is literally over the top.” The Sun
The move drew criticism as soon as it happened from Martin Brundle during his BBC commentary, while Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard also attacked what they felt was an unnecessary move from the German.
“That is naughty from Michael,” Brundle said. “That was too close for comfort; that was closing the door too late. If Michael wanted to be next to the wall, he should have put it [the car] next to the wall, not waited for Rubens to be next to him. That was completely out of order.”
“Michael didn’t defend early enough and then once he had defended, he kept going too late,” DC added. “You have a car alongside you, you have to give it up. If he didn’t want Rubens to go on the inside, he should have moved earlier. For all his greatness, Michael doesn’t know how to give it up.” Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Michael Schumacher admitted that he was too aggressive in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
“Immediately after the race yesterday I was still in the heat of the moment but after seeing the incident with Rubens again, I have to say the stewards were right in their decision. My move against him was too hard,” Schumacher said on his website.
“Naturally, I wanted to make it difficult for him to overtake me.
I clearly showed him that I didn’t want to let him pass but, looking at it rationally, I wasn’t seeking to endanger him with my manoeuvre.
If he feels I was then all I can say is sorry, this wasn’t my intention.” Schumacher’s comments come after Barrichello made clear following the race that he felt he was lucky to be alive. The Hindu
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