The FIA asked Schumacher to be careful during his battle with Hamilton
For a long time opposed to Lewis Hamilton during the Italian Grand Prix, the German defended his position tooth and nail, which earned him a very slight warning from the stewards.
What will be remembered from the 2011 Italian Grand Prix, aside from the crash at the start, is the duel that Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren offered to the spectators at the Monza circuit and television viewers. From the fourth to the fifteenth lap, and then from the nineteenth to the twenty-sixth lap, the two men engaged in an intense battle on the track, with Hamilton playing the role of the attacker and Schumacher the defender.
After an excellent start, the seven-time world champion found himself battling for the podium and then, more logically, for the minor places. It was mainly a question of defending his position, in a contest reminiscent of the San Marino Grand Prix in 2005 and 2006 at Imola, where the German in a Ferrari and Fernando Alonso with Renault took turns being the hunter and the hunted.
Despite everything, Schumacher’s defense sparked debate, with some considering it too aggressive, especially in the 21st lap when he changed his line twice in front of the British driver. The latter even complained to his team, which had already requested clarification of the situation from the FIA. A series of radio communications followed between Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn, during which the director of the Silver Arrows asked his driver to leave enough space at Ascari.
Brawn explained after the race to the BBC microphone: “Michael had a fantastic race, we knew we didn’t have the fastest car but we saw everything Michael Schumacher was capable of doing. The FIA was attentive and asked us to be cautious,” he revealed. The technician added: “It’s a balance between racing and not overstepping the limit. They asked us to be cautious, which we were. It was a great race.”
On Michael Schumacher’s side, who ultimately finished fifth, behind Lewis Hamilton, it is believed that the race was clean and fair: “I think so. As far as I’m concerned, there was no request for me to see the stewards, so everything is in order.” The Mercedes driver was therefore able to enjoy what he considered a fun afternoon with 10 more points in the world championship, coming within just 4 points of his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who fell victim to the pile-up at the first chicane.
