Ferrari teammate screamed ‘Michael Schumacher tried to kill me’ after battle

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Ex-Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello once screamed that 'Michael Schumacher tried to kill him' over the team radio when the two former teammates went head-to-head in a race in Hungary.

Seven-time Formula One world champion Schumacher is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of motorsport and is remembered for his aggressive driving style that led him to be involved in a number of controversial incidents.

One particular incident occurred in 2010 during Schumacher's second stint on the F1 grid when he was competing for Mercedes. While race wins were beyond his reach in that car, that didn't ease the competitive nature of the driver.

Head-to-head with former Ferrari teammate Barrichello and competing for a single point in the 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix, Schumacher almost pushed his counterpart into the barrier and it resulted in a furious response from the Brazilian.

"He should be black flagged for that. That was horrible," he said on team radio, the doubling down on his comments following the race when he suggested Schumacher tried to end his life.

“I am lucky to be alive. It was a go-kart manoeuvre. If he wants to go to heaven, in the event he is going to heaven, I don’t want to go before him. Thank God, I was lucky the wall finished where it did because I was millimetres from it. I am just very glad and very lucky we’re here to talk."

The FIA investigated the incident and duly charged Schumacher with a 10-place grid penalty. While it's reported that everyone on the grid agreed with the punishment, the ex-world champion didn't agree and spoke candidly about his views.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Was Michael Schumacher as aggressive as Max Verstappen? Comment below.

“There’s not much to say. I had a line of about five centimetres, and I was making it obvious to him to go on the other side. But he chose not to. Certain drivers have certain views. Then there’s Rubens.”

“He had fresher tires, my job was to get the last corner spot-on. It was a hard fight and this is what we are here for, but I accept that the FIA stewards saw it as too hard.”

Some even thought that Schumacher got off lightly with his 10-place grid penalty for the next Grand Prix, with the incident occurring at speeds approaching 200mph that put the lives of both drivers at risk.

• Formula One
• F1
• Michael Schumacher

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