• Belgian Grand Prix
Comments: 11

Schumacher struggles without sixth gear

ESPN Staff
September 2, 2012 « Webber rues inability to overtake | Twitter posts land Hamilton in hot water »
Michael Schumacher: "It's obviously beautiful to fight for the top-end positions" © Sutton Images
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Michael Schumacher lost sixth gear seven laps from the end of the Belgian Grand Prix, which he believes prevented him from attacking the cars ahead.

Schumacher was running as high as third at one stage but had to make a second pit stop when his tyres started to fade and he lost positions. He said he made his second stop in the hope of attacking the likes of Felipe Massa and Mark Webber towards the end of the race, but a gearbox problem stopped him from doing so.

"Fighting in the early laps with Ricciardo and some of the other guys I needed to push my tyres and that was probably the deciding factor why we had to come in again. We could have finished on that set, but I'm pretty sure I would have ended up in the same position. I think it was a good decision to come in and change tyres and then fight again in the last laps for more positions. But I had to stop thinking about that seven laps from the end because I lost sixth gear and then it was just luck to actually finish the race."

Nevertheless, Schumacher said he enjoyed his 300th grand prix.

"I did. It's obviously beautiful to fight for the top-end positions and a little bit sad not to take one home. Nevertheless, it was a joyful and exciting grand prix from that point of view."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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