RUBENS BARRICHELLO has accused Michael Schumacher of nearly ‘sending him to heaven’ during a terrifying 200mph incident in Hungary. The Brazilian stated: “I am fortunate to be alive. It was a maneuver fit for a go-kart.
“If he is aiming for heaven, in case he makes it there, I wish to arrive after him.
“Thank goodness the wall ended where it did because I was mere millimetres from it.”
The critical moment occurred when Barrichello reclaimed 10th position from the German with five laps remaining.
However, while battling for a point, he narrowly avoided colliding with the pit wall as Schumacher pressured his former Ferrari teammate. In the attempt to overtake his old competitor, Barrichello came dangerously close to the concrete barrier.
The stewards acted promptly, imposing a 10-place grid penalty on Schumacher, 41, for the upcoming Belgium GP in four weeks.
Barrichello, 38, expressed: “That was the most perilous maneuver I have ever experienced. It was dreadful. What we desire from racing is to compete but in a fair manner. I told the stewards that we are among the most seasoned drivers out there, and if Michael behaves this way, it indicates that young drivers may follow suit. I am just relieved and fortunate that we are alive to discuss this.”
Over the years, Barrichello has experienced several confrontations with Schumacher, even during their time racing alongside each other at Ferrari. The Sao Paulo driver remarked: “He is bringing past issues into the present without any reason. He believes I’m overly sensitive. I won’t engage in conversation with him as it won’t fix anything. You know Michael; he always perceives himself as being in the right. But I am an honest person, and in a way, justice has been served since he has been away for three years and has not changed at all. He remains the same person. What he did to me is unequivocally excessive.”
An insider present at the track noted, “Let’s not forget that, at times, Barrichello was instructed by Ferrari to allow Schumacher to win races. Rubens Barrichello always adhered to the team’s commands and has consistently conducted himself like a true professional. Moreover, let’s not ignore the instances when Schumacher ‘allegedly’ crashed into Damon Hill intentionally one year, leading him to win the championship. The man is a cheat and unprofessional.”
However, Schumacher responded: “There’s not much to elaborate on. I had a space of about 5cm, and I made it clear for him to pass on the other side. Yet, he opted not to. Different drivers have varying perspectives, and then there is Rubens. He had newer tires, and my responsibility was to nail the last corner. It was an intense fight, and that’s what we are here for, but I acknowledge that the FIA stewards perceived it as overly aggressive.”
Former F1 racer Anthony Davidson commented: “Any driver knows how perilous that situation was. It could have been deadly.”
Red Bull’s Mark Webber took the race victory, placing him four points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ standings.
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