Schumacher slams war

Five-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher spoke out against the war in Iraq this morning as American launched its initial attack on Baghdad.

Schumacher insisted that talks to avoid war should have been given more time and was backed up by Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, his Ferrari team-mate.

“We do not drive with closed eyes,” said Schumacher, when asked at a press conference ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur whether drivers could concentrate on their job amid the events in the Middle East.

“We know pretty much what is going on and we are affected to some degree.

"Personally I would be much more happy if we could talk a little bit more about how we can solve war and how we can avoid the war rather than basically to only have discussions to accept the war.

“You have a situation with everybody talking about when it starts, not why it starts or does it have to start. The discussions have been going on so long it has become a situation you get used to it.”

Schumacher said it was not up to the drivers whether Sunday’s race at Sepang should go ahead, the decision was down to Max Mosley, president of the world governing body, FIA.

But the 34-year-old, at the time raised questions over whether the 2001 United States Grand Prix should take place in the wake of September 11, said he was confident security measures had been put in place.

“I think it is a matter of mentality because, in particular, Americans were very, very concerned and I noticed where one event where Tiger Woods was supposed to do a golf event in Dubai and he cancelled that,” when asked if this weekend’s race should have been cancelled.

“In those circumstances it is a single person’s decision and it is easy for him to do so.

“Here we have quite a big structure around and I guess at the end of the day it is not a single man’s decision, except Mr Mosley who can decide whether it is safe or not, not only for us but also all the spectators.

“I guess they have looked into that and reached a decision it is safe to do so. I guess a lot of safety measures have been taken for this race.

“We did raise the question after the attacks in 2001 whether it was safe to go on and it is again not up to us to decide. It is difficult for us sometimes.”

Barrichello insisted it was right for the grand prix, the second round of the 16-race season, to take place despite the events elsewhere.

“I think the race should go ahead,” said Barrichello. “If we stop doing what we love, people stop watching races and will pay even more attention to the war.

"The good nature of life and the sports and things that make us smile, make people wake up in the morning have to go on."

“We have to acknowledge that there is a war is going on and we pray that it is going to finish quite soon but we must do what we love doing.

“We are all afraid. It is such a modern war and we could have had more talking to see if that could go on.

“Now war has began we have to concentrate on making everything as safe as possible, all the travelling and everything.”

Mosley was due in Malaysia this weekend for a meeting with senior politicians but will not now attend the grand prix.

But Formula One insisted earlier this week it was ’business as usual’ with no plans to call off the race.