I just watched the qualifying session for Sunday’s Grand Prix in Monaco, including Michael Schumacher’s convenient “error” at the last corner on the last lap which prevented Alonso from taking pole position. Schumacher cut the apex too close, ran wide, and stopped short of the wall, which brought out a local yellow flag. As the BBC reports:
The manner of Schumacher’s mistake provoked claims from many of his rivals that he had deliberately stopped on the track to prevent anyone from challenging his pole position.
The way his Ferrari ran wide looked very unusual, and he then stalled the engine while making an apparently ham-fisted attempt to reverse it out of the barrier.
My assessment was that Schumacher could have completed the turn without stopping, and that his “mistake” was too uncharacteristically sloppy – and too “convenient” – to be anything other than a deliberate attempt to block his rivals. Of course he’s under investigation. By the time you read this, we’ll know if Schumacher is going to be first or last on the grid….
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[UPDATE: He’s going to start last! A good call by the officials, I think. Perhaps they noticed that little smirk on Schumi’s face during the post-qualifying interview.]