• Hungarian Grand Prix

Schumacher lucky not to be disqualified - Warwick

ESPNF1 Staff
August 3, 2010 « Petrov inching closer to 2011 deal - Renault | »
Michael Schumacher pushed Rubens Barrichello within inches of the pit wall in Hungary © Sutton Images
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Hungaroring steward Derek Warwick has revealed he wanted to disqualify Michael Schumacher during Sunday's race.

Ultimately, the seven-time world champion was handed a post-race ten-position grid penalty for the next event in Belgium, after pushing his former Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello towards the pit wall at 180mph.

But former grand prix driver Warwick told BBC radio's Five Live Breakfast that showing Schumacher a black flag "would have shown a better example to our young drivers".

"By the time we got the video evidence we ran out of time and we had to do it retrospectively," added Warwick.

Schumacher apologised for the incident on his website on Monday, but Warwick admitted it was "disappointing" how the 41-year-old German "handled" his interview with the stewards after the race.

"You could disqualify him from the next grand prix, or two grands prix," said Warwick. "But we felt a ten-place penalty is a big penalty to carry for Spa. Hopefully he will learn from that and remember that the new stewards will not tolerate that driving."

David Coulthard wrote in his latest Daily Telegraph column that he thinks Schumacher used to get away with his famous "arrogance" because he was a winner.

"Now that he is being regularly shown up by his younger team-mate, such lapses of character will not wash," said the Scot. "Until he made his apology, the calls for him to quit immediately were shrill. I wonder whether his mea culpa will make any difference."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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