Barrichello: "Press Lies."
NUERBURGRING, Germany, May 27 (Reuters) - Ferrari's Michael Schumacher played down a rift with team mate Rubens Barrichello on Friday after the Brazilian said he would treat the seven-times champion like any other rival from now on.
"For me it's fine to see it like that for the race, as long as we can go on having parties after the race," Schumacher said at the European Grand Prix.
"I'm relaxed about the whole thing," added the German.
"We saw each other last night for dinner. He was calmed down. He's Brazilian after all and has temperament. There was no problem between us. It's all normal. It's time to sort this out and get back to work."
Schumacher has had to mend fences with both his brother and Barrichello after last week's Monaco Grand Prix, where he barged past his team mate on the final lap and then almost collided with Ralf's Toyota on the line.
"There's just too much commotion about this, just like with the thing with Ralf," said Schumacher.
Barrichello, who has played the role of loyal number two since he arrived at Ferrari in 2000, was quoted in Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport saying: "In future I will have to consider Michael not as a team mate but as a driver like any other."
The Brazilian, whose once-dominant Formula One team have been struggling without a win so far this season, did not want to make any further comment but dismissed a suggestion in the Gazzetta that his days at Ferrari were now numbered.
"It's bull****," Barrichello said. "That's the Italian press saying too many things. I have no problem with Ferrari just because I had one problem with Michael in one corner. So that's the deal."
Schumacher finished seventh in Monaco, with Barrichello eighth. Ralf withstood Schumacher's late attack to hold sixth. Although both brothers declared peace at the Nuerburgring, sixth-placed Ralf had said Michael could have killed him.
Ferrari boss Jean Todt said he understood both drivers and would not take sides in whether Schumacher made the right decision to pass Barrichello at Monaco.
"I don't say what one should have done or should not have done," he said. "It's part of racing. It's important that they didn't compromise the work of the entire company by hitting each other."
Todt said it was also vital that both drivers continue talking with each other and work together. He pointed out that Schumacher called Barrichello on his birthday early this week and they had dinner together on Thursday.
"There is no controversy," Todt said.
"They have the same car and the same support. We try to minimise as much as we can the opposition between them. But there is a limit. The drivers are happy to be together and they speak to each other."
Source:
http://tinyurl.com/9j7to