Shortly after the race, the FIA stewards handed Schumacher a 10-place grid penalty for the upcoming race at Spa-Francorchamps, as the German almost pushed Barrichello into the wall when the Williams driver tried to overtake him. If everybody, including Barrichello, criticized the move as being a dangerous one, Schumacher initially begged to differ.
When asked about the incident, he told the media that “we know certain drivers have certain views, and there's Rubens. I was making it obvious to him to go on the other side. There was more room there, but he chose not to. It got a bit tight. We didn't touch; I guess I left enough room.”
Hearing those comments, Barrichello chose not to speak to Schu and sort things out, as he was convinced “it won't resolve things. You know Michael - you talk to him and he will always feel that he is right.”
However, after reviewing his actions and taking a better look at the TV replays of the incident, the 7-time world champion admitted he made a mistake and apologized to his former Ferrari colleague on his official website.
“Yesterday, right after the race I was still in the heat of the action, but after I watched the incident with Rubens again, I must say that the stewards were right with their assessment: the move against him was too hard,” wrote Schumacher.
“I wanted to make it hard for him to pass me. I clearly showed him that I didn't want to let him pass but... I wasn't seeking to endanger him with my move. If he feels I was then I'm sorry, this wasn't my intention,” concluded the German driver.
Google News