Michael Schumacher Handed Penalty

Michael Schumacher has apologised for almost pushing Rubens Barrichello into a wall at the Hungarian Grand Prix at the weekend.

The pair were locked together in a battle forth tenth and eleventh and when Barrichello tried to over take his former team mate on the inside, just a handful of laps from the end of the race, the former champion moved across pushing Barrichello close to the pit wall.

Issuing an apology on his website he said: "Yesterday, straight after the race, I was still in the heat of the moment, but after seeing the scene against Rubens again, I have got to say that the stewards are right with their judgment: the manoeuvre against him was too severe," he said.

"I obviously wanted to make it difficult for him to overtake me and I also showed him clearly that I did not want to let him past, but obviously I did not want to endanger him with my manoeuvre.

"If he feels this way, then sorry, that was not my intention."

Despite the incident Barrichello did get past the German and into the final point scoring position of tenth.

And while Schumacher could have been disqualified for the manoeuvre he has been handed ten place grid penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of August.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw