» Schumacher angry at being blocked

After qualifying, a frustrated Michael Schumacher approached FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting, feeling he had been held up by other competitors during qualifying.

The seven-time World Champion felt that both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso had baulked him during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

So annoyed was he by Alonso, in particular, that he confronted the Spaniard in parc ferme after the qualifying session had finished.

So, the man who ~~allegedly~~ conspired to block the circuit during the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix is now the arbiter of others’ driving standards? This should be interesting…

”On my last try, I was slowed down by [Alonso],” Schumacher told reporters after qualifying. “I asked him whether the team had told him [I was on a quick lap] and he said no.

"In a way it is difficult because he was on his in-lap, and he was worrying about other things than maybe watching the mirror. But saying that, we had this chat yesterday in the drivers’ briefing that this should be taken care of, and actually he was one of the main guys asking about it.

"I wanted to know if the team had told him or not, and then I had a conversation with Charlie about it because I wanted to know what are the guidelines here – and whether the rules have changed a little bit to what they used to be. I [told Whiting I] need to know what would you be okay with, and what not."

Schumacher was also held up by Hamilton in Q2.

"I had a similar issue with Lewis, that he was adapting his lap and preparing his lap and blocking me in a way – which is not very nice,” he added.

"If you sit behind, you are trying your best, which I am doing at the moment, and then somebody slows you down, it is not very comfortable."

Didn’t we say something about practicing what you preach?

[Original image via AUTOSPORT]