By Claas Hennig May 29, 2006, 19:15 GMT
Monte Carlo - Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher was both praised and vilified for his efforts during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.
After controversially coming to a stop during the final qualifying session on Saturday and being ordered to start from last place on the grid, the German managed to undo at least some of the damage by finishing fifth in Sunday's race - though well behind winner and championship leader Fernando Alonso.
In Italy the newspapers were full of praise for the 37-year old's performance. 'Alonso is the king of Monte Carlo, but Michael is a phenomena,' the Corriere della Sera wrote.
Even El Pais in Spain praised the German: 'Schumacher provided a gala performance. That is the style of a real world champion: the more they are pushed into a corner, the bigger the challenge for them.'
Le Figaro though was less polite. 'If one goes according to the results then Michael Schumacher is the best driver in 50 years of Grand Prix driving. But with his actions on Saturday, which can not be undone, the German driver has closed the door for himself on the Club of Greats.'
Tuttosport even went as far as to suggest to the German that he seeks psychological help. 'If someone like him, who has won seven world titles, is nearly 40 years old, has a lot of money in the bank and has a wife and two children and still commits such mistakes then he obviously needs psychological help.'
Schumacher on Saturday - with less than two minutes left in qualifying - parked his car on one of the most narrow parts of the track, thus preventing cars behind him from possibly obtaining a faster qualifying time.
At the time Schumacher had the fastest time in qualifying but was penalised by race stewards who dismissed his explanations that it had been a drivers' mistake.
After Sunday's race Schumacher and his Ferrari team tried to act as if everything was normal. 'It was an incident and there are two opinions about it. The race officials did not follow our arguments,' team principal Jean Todt said, adding that he could do nothing about the negative feeling against Schumacher.
'We can't prevent some people having a bad opinion about him,' he said.
Apparently several of the drivers are also said to have such a negative opinion and rumours circulating over the weekend saw the German being thrown out of the drivers' association GPDA.
Red Bull's David Coulthard, who surprisingly finished third on Sunday behind Alonso and McLaren-Mercedes' Juan Pablo Montoya, however dismissed such rumours.
'Irrespective of what individuals think about the incident, Michael remains one of the most active when it comes to improving safety,' Coulthard said.
Schumacher already countered his critics in Monaco. 'Those who are opening their mouths now are to cowardly to come to me and talk to me in person.'
They will have an opportunity to do that in two weeks at the next race - the English Grand Prix in Silverstone.
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