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Stewards knock back Schumacher
Source: Agencies |
May 18, 2010, Tuesday
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MICHAEL Schumacher was stripped of sixth place for illegally overtaking Ferrari's Fernando Alonso on the last corner of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Racing in the principality for the first time since 2006, when he was sent from pole position to the back of the starting grid, the seven-time champion's behavior was once more the subject of a stewards' enquiry.
This time they included the German's old track rival Damon Hill, Britain's 1996 world champion, but the verdict was the same. Schumacher, making his comeback at the age of 41 and after three years out, was deemed to be in the wrong.
After lengthy deliberations, an announcement was made two and a half hours after the race had ended that the stewards had imposed a drive through penalty which had been converted into a 20-second addition to his total time.
That was enough to drop Schumacher, at least pending a Mercedes appeal that was lodged immediately after the verdict, out of the points to 12th place and moved Alonso up into sixth instead.
Schumacher had barged past Alonso moments after the safety car, deployed after a crash at the slow Rascasse corner, had pulled off with only the final corner between the drivers and the chequered flag.
"I got the message the track was clear," Schumacher said. "The team told me on the radio the safety car had passed line one and I was allowed to overtake. The line is right in front of the entrance to the garages.
"The spot of the accident was clear, the cars were gone, so I don't see any reason why this should not be allowed."
The Spaniard is now third overall in the championship, three adrift of Red Bull's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.
"My team told me no overtaking on the last lap," said Alonso, who had been close behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton at the time.
"They said the safety car would come into the pits, but that didn't mean I could overtake."
Racing in the principality for the first time since 2006, when he was sent from pole position to the back of the starting grid, the seven-time champion's behavior was once more the subject of a stewards' enquiry.
This time they included the German's old track rival Damon Hill, Britain's 1996 world champion, but the verdict was the same. Schumacher, making his comeback at the age of 41 and after three years out, was deemed to be in the wrong.
After lengthy deliberations, an announcement was made two and a half hours after the race had ended that the stewards had imposed a drive through penalty which had been converted into a 20-second addition to his total time.
That was enough to drop Schumacher, at least pending a Mercedes appeal that was lodged immediately after the verdict, out of the points to 12th place and moved Alonso up into sixth instead.
Schumacher had barged past Alonso moments after the safety car, deployed after a crash at the slow Rascasse corner, had pulled off with only the final corner between the drivers and the chequered flag.
"I got the message the track was clear," Schumacher said. "The team told me on the radio the safety car had passed line one and I was allowed to overtake. The line is right in front of the entrance to the garages.
"The spot of the accident was clear, the cars were gone, so I don't see any reason why this should not be allowed."
The Spaniard is now third overall in the championship, three adrift of Red Bull's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.
"My team told me no overtaking on the last lap," said Alonso, who had been close behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton at the time.
"They said the safety car would come into the pits, but that didn't mean I could overtake."
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