Michael Schumacher has apologised to Rubens Barrichello, after the two nearly collided during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The pair clashed in the closing stages of yesterday’s race, as Barrichello attempted to pass his former Ferrari team-mate for tenth place.
The Brazilian driver was left incensed by Schumacher’s attempts to defend his position – which culminated in the seven-time champion pushing Barrichello’s Williams up against the pit wall.
Subsequently, Schumacher was hit by a wave of criticism from various fans and members of the sport’s media, and later race stewards issued the German with a ten-place grid penalty for his next round of the championship in Belgium.
However, although the Mercedes driver protested his innocence in the immediate aftermath of the race, a statement issued on Monday appears to show that he has now had a change of heart.
“Yesterday, right after the race I was still in the heat of the action, but after I watched the incident with Rubens again, I must say that the stewards were right with their assessment: the move against him was too hard,” Schumacher wrote on his official website.
“I wanted to make it hard for him to pass me. I clearly showed him that I didn’t want to let him pass but… I wasn’t seeking to endanger him with my move. If he feels I was then I’m sorry, this wasn’t my intention.”
