Beaten Schuey holds head high
From Tim Collings in Monaco
May 29, 2006

MICHAEL Schumacher, Ferrari and its fans held their heads high today (AEST) after fighting to collect just four points from a weekend they will want to forget at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Thousands of race fans had packed the narrow streets of the Mediterranean principality in the hope of seeing the 37-year-old German, seven times the drivers' world champion, compete from the front of the grid with his heir apparent Spaniard Fernando Alonso, 24.

But they were deprived of a mouth-watering contest between the defending champion, in his Renault, and Schumacher after the German suspiciously stopped on the circuit in the final seconds of Sunday's (AEST) qualifying session, leading to him being relegated to the back of the grip from pole position.

Schumacher opted for an overnight engine change and started from the pit lane from where he advanced from 22nd position to fifth at the finish with a blistering display of committed and controlled racing.

His teammate, Felipe Massa of Brazil, was forced to start from 21st on the grid after crashing in qualifying, thus assuring Ferrari of its worst qualifying positions in the team's history.

But all this was swept aside as both men competed hard for points in the 78-lap contest on the famous old street circuit.

Team boss Jean Todt admitted: "Fifth for Michael and ninth for Felipe are definitely not up to the ability level of our package.

"However, Michael put on a good performance. Even though we have lost precious ground in the championships, we will give our all to tackle the remaining 11 rounds as well as possible."

On the decision by the FIA, motor sports world governing body, to strip Schumacher of pole Todt said: "We had to accept it even if we don't share the same opinion of the incident which was nothing more than driver error.


"The ruling was out of all proportion."

Schumacher, seemingly in a minority of one when it came to defending his actions yesterday, remained disappointed and unhappy at what happened to him that evening.

"I was amazed at how tough the stewards' decision was," he 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. The facts have to be examined in an open manner.

"I am sorry that Fernando's lap was ruined and it was definitely not my intention to do that.

"At the time, I did not know where his car was because I had been told nothing over the radio.

"I have been in Formula One for 16 years and I have got used to living with this sort of situation. Everyone could see today that I am not the sort to give up."

Alonso, who inherited pole position when Schumacher was penalised, drove to an easy win ahead of Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya in a McLaren-Mercedes and third-placed Briton David Coulthard in a Red Bull.

In all of this, Ferrari was half expected to retire both cars early in the race won by Alonso and go home but, instead, they raced on and Schumacher's gutsy display began again the process or image restoration that seems to punctuate his career at regular intervals.

Unfortunately for Schumacher, Ferrari, its fans and Formula One in general, it may not be enough that Schumacher and the team responded with some dignity.

The cuts in Monaco to the team's image ran deep and may have made it less likely that he will stay with them or in the sport.

If the end is approaching for a man who has won seven titles, five with Ferrari, in the sport's greatest, if highly-controversial, career, then it is a pity that there was no showdown with Alonso in Monaco.

Agence France-Presse



It appears this reporter is hinting at the end of Scumacher at Ferrari