Schumi: Sato incident 'unnecessary'.

Michael Schumacher has hit out at BAR-Honda's Takuma Sato for causing the accident that put both drivers out of a typically weather-affected Belgian Grand Prix.

Both drivers were attempting to make up for time lost during a second, unscheduled, pit-stop to change back onto intermediate tyres after a misguided experiment with slicks on the still damp track, but the Japanese driver was caught out by the conditions as the field was released from behind the safety car on lap 14.

"With cold tyres and brakes, it was very difficult to stop the car and, unfortunately, I touched the back of him," Sato said of the incident which broke the world champion's rear suspension and rendered the BAR undriveable, "Obviously, I am disappointed."

BAR sporting director Gil de Ferran admitted that the team had 'underestimated how low the level of grip was and how long it would eventually take for the track conditions to improve', but that did little to appease Schumacher, who was seen to go over to the still belted-in Japanese driver and remonstrate with him, before giving him a cuff to the helmet and stalking back to the pits. He later visited the stewards, prior to Sato being hit with a ten-place grid penalty for the next race, in Brazil.

"We've often experienced hara-kiri reactions from him in the past, and that was another one today," the world champion told German television, "We've talked to him about it in the past, but I don't know what sort of therapy might help him."

Schumacher's ire had barely subsided when he returned to the Ferrari pit, later calling the whole incident 'more unnecessary than usual'.

"Every accident is unnecessary, but this one seemed more unnecessary than usual," he fumed, having looked set for a good points finish - and possibly a podium - as the conditions played to his strengths, "Obviously, I am not happy about it. I did not see anything and just felt a bump at the rear of the car. It was stupid to finish the race like this when we had hoped that the mixed conditions might help us."

The German played down suggestions that his second stop would have hampered his chances, although technical director Ross Brawn admitted that the team had 'got it wrong' at the first stop.

"It was a day when some opportunities presented themselves, but we did not take all of those that came our way," Brawn said, "At the beginning of the race we held our positions but we were not that strong, so we thought we would take a chance and try dry tyres on Michael's car when the safety car came out. However, he quickly realised that there was no way he could drive on them.

"The lap times seemed to indicate that 'dries' would work, but for some reason they did not and we had to change back immediately. Then the accident with Sato finished it off..."