Schumacher sent to the back of the grid
The stewards can find no justifiable reason for the driver to have braked with such undue, excessive and unusual pressure at this part of the circuit, and are therefore left with no alternatives but to conclude that the driver deliberately stopped his car on the circuit in the last few minutes of qualifying, at a time at which he had thus far set the fastest laptime.
The stewards’s decision means Michael Schumacher will start the Monaco Grand Prix from the back of the grid. His punishment is under Article 112 of the sporting regulations which denies a right to appeal.
Giancarlo Fisichella was also penalised, for blocking David Coulthard. He will lose his three fastest qualifying times, exactly as Jacques Villeneuve did for blocking Fisichella in qualifying for the European Grand Prix.
