Controversies and criticism
editDuring his long career Schumacher has been involved in several incidents which caused considerable controversy
[[Image:NonFreeImageRemoved.svg -->|thumb|200px|right|Schumacher (right) and Hill (left) crash at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix]] Going into the 1994 Australian Grand Prix, the final race of the 1994 season, Schumacher led Damon HIll by a single point in the drivers' championship. Schumacher led the race from the beginning, with Hill closely following him. On lap 20, Schumacher ran off the track, hitting a wall with his right side wheels.[1] He returned to the track at reduced speed but still leading the race. At the next corner, Schumacher and Hill collided when Hill attempted a pass on the inside and Schumacher turned into the corner. Schumacher's car was tipped up onto two wheels and eliminated on the spot. Hill pitted immediately and retired from the race with unrepairable damage to the car's front left suspension wishbone. As neither driver scored, Schumacher took the title. Schumacher is often blamed for the incident by Formula One insiders,[2] although the race stewards judged it a racing accident and took no action against either driver.
At the 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez, the last race of the season, Schumacher led Jacques Villeneuve by one point in the drivers' championship. Although Schumacher and Villeneuve had set the same time during qualifying, the Canadian driver started the race in pole position due to having set the time first. By the first corner of the race, Schumacher was ahead of Villeneuve. On lap 48, Villeneuve tried to overtake Schumacher at the Dry Sac Corner. Schumacher turned into Villeneuve, the right-front wheel of Schumacher's Ferrari hitting the left radiator pod of Villeneuve's Williams. Schumacher retired from the race immediately while Villeneuve was able to finish the race in the third place, taking four points and so becoming the World Champion.[1]
Two weeks after the race, Schumacher was stripped of all his points for the season after a FIA disciplinary hearing disqualified him, considering that "Schumacher deliberately tried to ram Villeneuve to try to gain an advantage".[3] Schumacher accepted the decision[3] and admitted having made a mistake.[4]
Two laps from the finish of the 1998 British Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher was leading the race when he was issued with a stop-and-go penalty for passing another driver under safety car period. The penalty involved go into the pit lane and stopping for 10 seconds before continuing the race. As it was given with less than 5 laps remaining, Schumacher could choose not serve the penalty and instead be penalised 25 seconds in his overall finish time. Just before finishing the race, Schumacher turned into the pit lane and passed the finish line to end his race. Only after passing the finish lane Schumacher served the stop-and-go penalty.[5]
During Schumacher's time at Ferrari, the team often employed team orders to benefit one of their drivers over the other. Usually Schumacher benefitted as team leader, although in 1999 he played a supporting role to Eddie Irvine after missing part of the season with a broken leg. Historically, team orders had always been permitted in Formula One. At the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, Schumacher's teammate, Rubens Barrichello, took pole and led the race from the start. In the final metres of the race, the Brazilian driver, under orders from Ferrari, slowed his car to make way for Schumacher to pass and win the race.[6] This angered fans who were watching the race at the circuit and at the podium ceremony Schumacher pushed Barrichello onto the top step,[6] for which the Ferrari team later incurred in a 1 million US dollars fine for disturbing the podium ceremony.[7] Later in the season, Schumacher let Barrichello past in a similar fashion at the end of the 2002 United States Grand Prix, causing a similar outcry. The FIA, motor sport's worldwide governing body, banned team orders from Formula One at the end of the season.[citation needed]
Although Schumacher took the pole position during the qualifying for the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix, there was controversy near the end of the session as Schumacher stopped his car in the Rascasse corner of the circuit, near the end of it, partially blocking the circuit when his main contender for the season title, Fernando Alonso, was on his qualifying lap. Schumacher stated that he simply locked up the wheels going into the corner and the car then stalled while he attempted to reverse out.[8] Alonso believes he would have been on pole if the incident had not happened.[9] Schumacher was later stripped of pole position by the race stewards and started the race at the back of the grid.[8]
References and notes
edit- ^ a b "Schumacher 500: Has the King Lost His Crown?". autosport.com. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ Henry, Alan Wheel to Wheel p.117
- ^ a b "Schumacher loses championship runner-up crown". news.bbc.co.uk. 1997-11-11. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ "The lost honor of Michael Schumacher". www.grandprix.com. 1997-11-03. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ "British Grand Prix Review". autosport.com. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ a b "Schumacher steals Austrian win". news.bbc.co.uk. 2002-05-12. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ "Record fine for Turks". www.eurosport.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ a b "Schumacher is stripped of pole". www.formula1.com. 2006-05-27. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ "Post-qualifying press conference - Monaco". www.formula1.com. 2006-05-27. Retrieved 2006-10-24.