01/07/2005
NEWS STORY
Asked about the statement signed by 19 F1 drivers - including Ralf Schumacher who was already ruled out of the US GP, following an accident, and several third drivers - Michael Schumacher gave his reason for not signing.
"As far as I understand, it was an initiative from Renault," said the German. "I don't recall they called me, first of all. I would have been surprised if they had anyway.
"Just to make clear, this was not a GPDA thing," he added. "I think we just have different opinions about it, which is only natural so I would not have signed it."
Asked if the fact that several drivers - Schumacher, Barrichello, Monteiro and Karthikeyan - didn't sign the statement would weaken the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), the German replied: "As I said, the GPDA was not involved in that one because it's nothing to do with circuit safety or where you have to look for an issue where you have a problem with something, here it is a mechanical situation, from one team to another, which is not a subject matter for the GPDA to get involved in."
However, Toyota driver, and Indy pole man, Jarno Trulli, did not agree: "Well, I think the situation is not clear," said the Italian. "I think we will be more weak because there is something not clear as I received the document direct from the GPDA and we all know how many people are in the GPDA and probably most of us here are GPDA members. So, I don't really understand the situation and I will try to understand it better tomorrow when we will have a meeting.
"Anyway, we will all get the information from the GPDA by email," he added. "So nobody can say 'I didn't get the message'. You can only say I didn't agree.
"That is my opinion. But I think it is better to discuss it more."