Schumacher labelled a 'cheap cheat'
Michael Schumacher faced a barrage of criticism after his cheating controversy overshadowed the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver was stripped of pole after stewards decided he had deliberately sabotaged his rivals’ last qualifying laps by faking a mistake in the dying seconds.
Schumacher protested his innocence, blaming a paddock conspiracy by his “enemies”, but his pleas fell on deaf ears among a Formula One community united in their condemnation.
Former world champion Keke Rosberg blasted him as a “cheap cheat”, claiming his antics were “the cheapest, dirtiest thing I have ever seen”.
Schumacher had few people fighting his corner, but manager Willi Weber vigorously defended the seven-time champion and claimed his man has been the victim of a smear campaign.
He said: “It is a scandal because in my opinion it was a driver’s mistake. I think this could happen to anybody. It has happened before in many qualifyings but nobody has been penalised like this.
“We have had some things like this in the past, we know the enemies and how they react against Michael. This time was too much. It was planned by our enemies in the paddock.”
Schumacher’s initial claim that only a Formula One driver could understand his incident fell flat when most of his rivals delivered a damning verdict of foul play.
While world championship rival Fernando Alonso kept quiet, the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve and Mark Webber poured scorn on Schumacher’s version of events.
But the 37-year-old brshed aside that criticism, relying on manager Weber’s conspiracy theory.
He said: “I think we have to take into consideration the percentage of drivers you are asking who are not really my friends. Probably a lot of them are not really my friends.
“Over the years it is always the same people who are claiming these things. But I think over so many years of our success it is understandable that a lot of people try to shake us.”
“I wouldn’t go as far to say it was cheating,” he said. “You have to take it in context. In the heat of the moment you are desperately trying to get on the front row of the grid, you have a split second to make a decision.
“That said, the duty of the stewards is to ensure everybody behaves impeccably and if anyone goes over the line there has to be a penalty.”
The row is nothing new for Schumacher, whose career has been blighted by allegations of dubious sportsmanship.
His first world title, in 1994, was tainted with controversy after he crashed into Damon Hill at the last race to ensure a championship win.
A similar ploy three years later, against Jacques Villeneuve, failed and saw him stripped of his second place in the standings.
| Related Stories: |
|
