Ralf Schumacher awaits fate

Ralf Schumacher will find out later today if he is to suffer for causing a start-line accident at the German Grand Prix.

Schumacher’s careless start to the race saw the Williams driver cut across the path of Kimi Raikkonen and Rubens Barrichello, causing a high-speed pile-up which eliminated all three drivers.

The accident was a severe dent in the title hopes of Raikkonen and Schumacher, with the German further hit by a post-race penalty.

Hockenheim stewards ruled that Schumacher caused an ‘avoidable accident’ and demoted him 10 places on the grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix, meaning he can start no higher than 11th.

But Schumacher appealed against that penalty and, after Williams put his case to world governing body the FIA’s appeals committee yesterday, will discover this afternoon whether the punishment stands.

He is adamant he does not deserve to be punished.

He said: “Only when I came home was I able to watch the incident again and again on the TV.

“And I’m still of the same opinion – nothing has happened that justifies regarding the collision as anything else than a normal race incident.”

Ex-Formula One driver Hans Stuck agrees.

Stuck, who has enjoyed a long association with Williams’ engine partners BMW throughout his career, said: “I watched the details of the accident five or six times, and I just don’t understand why they decided to punish Ralf – it just doesn’t make any sense.”