I havent watched the qualifying live but read the news and waited for the official announcement from the stewards. According to their report, Michael Schumacher will start from the back of the grid for the Monaco Grandprix after stewards decided that he blocked the track in the final minutes of qualifying, preventing others from beating his time. Schumacher appeared to lock his brakes and then run wide as he entered the final Rascasse corner in the dying moments of the session. The former champion regained control without hitting the barriers, but came to a halt with his stalled car partially blocking the circuit, forcing other drivers to slow down. Schumacher was on provisional pole at that time.
The stewards heard evidence after the session concerning the incident from Schumacher, who claimed it was a genuine error. They also reviewed video footage and data evidence supplied by the team and the FIA. Their finding was that Schumacher had no justifiable reason for braking so hard, as he had been traveling little or no quicker than at the same point on previous laps. They therefore concluded that he deliberately stopped his car on the circuit, an infringement of the sporting regulations.
As punishment the stewards deleted all of Schumacher’s qualifying times, hence his move to the back of the grid behind massa, from where he has little or no chance of taking a record-equaling sixth Monaco Grand Prix win. Alonso starts tommorow’s race from the front row. What a disaster for Schumi and Ferrari. We have to wait till tommorow to see what will be the Ferrari’s and Schumi’s response. Will they appeal the decision?. Will they race from the back of the grid?. lets see tommorow.#
Update: (via itv.com)
The stewards said Schumacher’s actions breached Article 112 of F1’s sporting regulations and that therefore their ruling was final and would not be subject to appeal.
“Article 112 enables the stewards to delete any number of a driver’s qualifying times for a driving infringement, which decision is not susceptible to appeal,” they said.
5 Comments so far.
About time he got picked up for something. Finally the rules have stopped being changed to suit Schumacher. He has always been a cheat, ever since the day he deliberately ran Damon Hill off the track in Melbourne.
Phil: Ya there are few more incidents which Schumacher himself accepts and people keep talking abt them. But in a carrer spanning for more than 15 yrs in F1, he has shown the world who he is, what he is capable of and eveyone knows that. I admire him for those reasons. Btw I didnt watch the race live for the first time this season, Have u seen it?
I managed to see the highlights in the evening, as I too missed it live for the first time this season.
The thing I have with Schumacher is that, he has proven he is capable and is an incredible talent, yet why does he still feel the need to do these things? These events just bring him into disrepute and means he loses people respect. He certainly lost mine and I know other people who no longer respect him because of these antics. Particularly the swap on the lin with Barrichello a few years ago.
you missed the race where he brought the ferrari from last on the grid to 5th? what a superb drive by michael!!
In the last 15 years of your life, have you never done anything that you have later regretted, that ’seemed like a good idea at the time’. We all make mistakes in our lives… some poeple just have to live them out in the media time and time again. My favourite driver of all time, the late great Ayrton Senna, was as guilty as anyone of momentary laspes… the same sort suffered by Schumi. Suzaka ‘89, ‘90! Is it these things we remember. No, it was the genius that they showed us time and time again. However, like all geniuses, they are only human.
And to clarify… Michael was banned for three? (was a long time ago) races in ‘94… was stripped of his points for the entire ‘97 season post Jerez… the black flag thing at Silverstone… the list goes on and on. If anything, Michael is always being held to a higher standard because of who he is.
And as for Rubens pulling over in Austria… MY GOD! Why are we still talking about that! It was a non-event then, and even less so now. Again, the higher standard. You’re not talking about when DC moved over for Mika at Melbourne are you?