de la Rosa: Schumacher nearly made me crash!

Pedro de la Rosa has admitted that Michael Schumacher almost caused him to crash in the latter stages of the Hungarian Grand Prix, when the German skipped the chicane and came out in front of the McLaren-Mercedes.

Ailing due to his heavily worn intermediate tyres, it did not take long for the slick shod McLaren of de la Rosa to catch Schumacher but with a lack of good opportunities to overtake at the Hungaroring, not to mention a wet surface off the racing line, de la Rosa had to bide his time in passing the seven-time world champion.

Nonetheless, de la Rosa got better traction out of turn five and dived down the inside of the Ferrari at the chicane, a move that prompted Schumacher to miss the corner and emerge back in front of the Spaniard. However, instead of letting de la Rosa through, Schumacher eased off in the next turn, causing de la Rosa, who had thought he was being let through, to hit wheels with him.

Indeed, de la Rosa admits he was surprised that Schumacher didn't let him through again, branding the move 'unfair, although he eventually made a similar, but this time successful, move on the next lap to move into second place.

"That nearly cost me a crash. I overtook him and then he jumped the chicane, okay, he came back and he backed off and I went into turn eight on the inside just thinking he was giving position away like he should and he suddenly accelerated and so I jumped over the inside kerb and we just crashed wheels and I really didn't understand it."

"He was defending his position a little too much for his pace. He was on intermediate slick tyres and he was already doing miracles to keep the car on the track and I didn't expect him to battle that hard but because there was a dry line and off line it was wet it was difficult for me to have a go and his car was very quick in a straight line so I just waited and waited and from the pit wall they were getting a little nervous.

"I knew that but I just had to wait and show the patience really to go for it and in the chicane one time and we both went a little bit wide and he jumped the chicane which I thought was not too fair and the second time around I made it and it felt very good."

de la Rosa's thoughts were reiterated by Nick Heidfeld, who's move on Schumacher in the same chicane resulted in the Ferrari hitting the back of the BMW, breaking a track rod and eventually forcing the championship contender to retire.

"I saw that it took Pedro quite a while to get by [him] and I knew there were a few more laps to go so I thought okay he won't make it easy for me so the first chance I get I take it.

It was wet off line and I was a lot quicker but I didn't want to wait and had a good chance and was past and he drove into the back of my car and his suspension was destroyed and actually after that my steering wasn't straight after all, so I took it easy."