After Renault apologised last week for calling him a liar and blackmailer, Nelson Piquet has now issued his own apology to the wider world.

Having lost his Renault seat last year, the Brazilian revealed to the FIA that he was ordered by his team bosses to crash deliberately in Singapore 2008 to aid his teammate’s winning race strategy.

The saga became known as ‘crashgate’ and Piquet, now 25, is rebuilding his career in America, including by agreeing a deal to race full time in the NASCAR truck series in 2011.

Asked in Sao Paulo about the crashgate affair, Piquet is quoted by Brazil’s Globo Esporte: “It was an unfortunate episode that is over now.

“I made a mistake, I was immature, I apologise.

“It happens to many young people who get to a position in a global sport and they’re not prepared.

“What I can guarantee is that it will never happen again. I am restarting my career, getting a second chance, and I think I deserve it. I’ve already proved to everyone that I am a winning driver,” he insisted.

Piquet said his goal now is to open the door for Brazilians to succeed in NASCAR.

“I want to be one of the first Brazilians to do a full season and to be the first Brazilian champion,” he revealed.

“It’s great to open the door for other Brazilians coming to America. There are already many Brazilians racing in Europe and worldwide.”

Piquet admitted it might take him some time to reach the pinnacle of the American racing scene, the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

“Our plan is to be in the main category in five to six years,” he said. “We don’t really know how quickly it will evolve, it could be a little more (time) or a little less.

“But I don’t want to get to the main category unprepared to compete for the title,” added Piquet, who is moving to North Carolina.

The author of a newspaper column erroneously attributed to Mika Hakkinen has been dismissed.

This week, the Finn was quoted by Munich newspaper TZ as describing Michael Schumacher as a “tragic ex-hero” who made “a ridiculous mistake” at the start of the recent Abu Dhabi grand prix.

“In my view, he is dismantling his own legacy bit by bit,” Hakkinen – who also called the German “too arrogant” – reportedly wrote.

But TZ has now issued an apology and correction, admitting that the column had not been authorised by double world champion Hakkinen.

“The statements attributed to Mr Hakkinen, particularly in relation to Michael Schumacher, were not true and were not authorised.

“We regret this and apologise to our readers, to Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher, and as a consequence we are no longer working with the staff member concerned,” added TZ.

Michael Schumacher did not apologise personally after their on-track battle in Hungary, Rubens Barrichello has revealed to the Brazilian media.

After initially accusing Barrichello of carrying the baggage of their shared six years at Ferrari, Schumacher later apologised for pushing the Brazilian towards the pitwall at 300kph during the Williams driver’s overtaking move.

But the apology – issued in German on the seven time world champion’s official website – was received by Barrichello only via the press.

“I did not receive a phone call,” the 39-year-old told reporters during a karting day in his native Sao Paulo, before celebrating his 300th career grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps later this month.

“I have no regrets,” Barrichello continued.  “Now we move on.  Yes, I have my opinion, but I am quiet.  Our time together (at Ferrari) can not have any hostility on the track because you can end up hurting each other.”

Immediately after the incident in Hungary, Barrichello said he would not be seeking a face-to-face meeting with Schumacher because “it won’t resolve things”.

He has now told Agencia Estado: “I have great respect for his championships, but I have no great desire to have him as a friend.

“Life is about respect for others and forgiveness,” said Barrichello, insisting he does not hold a lasting grudge.

Jos Verstappen was not impressed with Michael Schumacher’s next-day apology for his defensive driving in Hungary.

After initially suggesting that Rubens Barrichello’s complaint was connected with his six years alongside him at Ferrari, the seven time world champion apologised on Monday with a statement on his website.

But Dutchman Verstappen, a former teammate of Schumacher’s at Benetton in the mid 90s, wrote in his latest column for De Telegraaf: “Be a man immediately after the race and apologise then — that would have come over a lot more sportsmanlike.”

It is rumoured that Schumacher’s apology was encouraged either by Mercedes, or by his friend, former Ferrari boss and current FIA president Jean Todt.

Meanwhile, Verstappen said he was also surprised by Ferrari’s handling of the Hockenheim team orders affair.

“Can someone explain to why they were so stupid, because I really don’t understand,” said the former Minardi driver.

“There are a thousand and one ways to change the positions of your two drivers without handing out team orders.

“They could have held up Massa in a pitstop, or had some problem with the fuel, or whatever you would like to imagine.

“If they had played it cleverly, none of this would have happened,” said Verstappen, referring to the Italian team’s $100,000 fine.

He also does not think Ferrari will escape next month’s meeting of the World Motor Sport Council disciplinary panel with a mere fine.

“Especially for the rich teams, fines do not inflict much pain.

“For me, Ferrari would have a conditional disqualification for one or two races, so it is known what happens when these tricks are played,” said Verstappen.

Jun.10 (GMM)  Mark Webber on Thursday insisted he can still work at Red Bull alongside Dr Helmut Marko.

Two weeks ago, it was the team’s Austrian consultant Marko who began blaming Australian Webber for the crash with his teammate Sebastian Vettel in Turkey.

It raised the suspicion that the team’s powerful German-speaking faction favours youngster Vettel over Webber, but all parties sat down for a clear-the-air meeting at Milton-Keynes last week.

“I had a good chat with Helmut at the factory.  He’s fine,” Webber, 33, told reporters at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

He was asked what he thought about Marko immediately blaming him for the crash, while many pundits within the paddock believe it was Vettel’s fault.

“Helmut wasn’t fully up to speed with all the facts at the time.  He went pretty quick with his comments, which he’s learned from and will move on,” said Webber.

Also revealing that he had a “very positive” phone conversation with team owner Dietrich Mateschitz since the incident, Webber said he understands Marko’s tilt towards 22-year-old Vettel’s side of the garage.

“He brought Seb along, he speaks the language, so you can expect a bit of emotional support that way.  But I’m fine with that.

“Helmut has been … there are a lot of things that have happened with this team through his support, and I’ve been off the back of that as well,” added Webber.

Vettel’s media scrum on Thursday was an uncomfortable one for the 22-year-old, with some reporters pushing the German hard to issue an apology.

When it became clear that no apology would be forthcoming, one questioner asked him if, like his countryman Michael Schumacher, he finds it difficult to admit his mistakes.

“The way that I grew up and the way that I am, honesty is something that is very important to me.  You can ask anybody in the garage, if I make a mistake in qualifying then I am the first to raise my hand and blame myself.

“I am open for self-criticism and I try to improve myself.  I’m not jumping out of the car and saying this is a shit car if I couldn’t do better,” said Vettel.

“If from my side something isn’t right I raise my hand and stand up.  I have no problem with that and it’s one important thing in life otherwise it will always come back to you,” he added.

Michael Schumacher accepted an apology from his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the hours after qualifying at Monaco.

After the seven time world champion told reporters he had been blocked in Q3 by the younger German, Rosberg later said: “I apologised because I realised that it wasn’t ideal.”

The Brackley based team also took a portion of the blame, admitting that the radio and GPS systems have not been working well in the Principality.

Boss Ross Brawn conceded that Schumacher, who has been outqualified by Rosberg at every grand prix venue this year except Barcelona a week ago, was initially “annoyed” about the incident.

“But when I explained to him what happened he was ok, just frustrated,” said the Briton.

And he said it was a mistake to have the two W01 cars circulating nose-to-tail, following a problem getting “Nico’s car out of the garage”.

“We cocked up,” admitted Brawn.

(GMM)

May 13 (GMM)  Four years after the ‘Rascasse scandal’, the British media on Wednesday demanded an apology as Michael Schumacher returned to the fabled Monaco circuit.

During the seven time world champion’s last visit to the Principality as a race driver in 2006, he was famously accused of ‘parking’ his Ferrari in the Rascasse corner during qualifying in order to prevent his title rival Fernando Alonso from beating him to pole position.

The stewards agreed with the charge and penalised Schumacher, but he has never owned up to having cheated.

“They say that sorry is the hardest word.  Is there any reason you are not able to say sorry for four years ago?” one British tabloid reporter asked the 41-year-old following several questions in the Mercedes driver’s media round on Wednesday.

Schumacher neither admitted his culpability nor denied the charges, insisting only that the F1 world should move on.

“I think you can keep trying, absolutely, but as I said before I am not in 2006 any more,” the German answered.

Asked if he regretted the manoeuvre, Schumacher said: “It doesn’t change things if we go back into it.”

And he said only the reaction of the media marked out the event as a low point in his long and successful career.

“You made it (a low point), yes,” said Schumacher.  “You journalists.  Some of you guys … let’s look forward and not backwards.”

Asked if he would be willing to try a similar move in 2010, he told a BBC reporter: “You’re boring.”

Also on Wednesday, Alonso also sounded unwilling to think about the 2006 controversy.

Asked if he had forgiven Schumacher for 2006, the Spaniard simply answered “yes”, insisting that F1 history is littered with famous on-track incidents.

“There’s nothing really to think about.  It’s a small incident.  That’s all,” the Ferrari driver added.

Lewis Hamilton also played down the media’s attempt to make the controversy a hot topic in 2010.

“That was a long time ago,” said the Briton.  “I wasn’t involved then.  I think we need to look forward.”

Despite the FIA agreeing to end its push to have a lifetime ban re-imposed, Flavio Briatore insists he is not guilty of race-fixing.

F1’s governing body on Monday announced that, after talks with the sacked Renault boss as well as ‘crashgate’ co-conspirator Pat Symonds, a settlement has been reached to end the scandal.

The FIA said the duo “expressed their regrets and presented their apologies”, in return for all legal action being dropped and the bans being effective only until 2013.

But Briatore, who turned 60 on Monday, later clarified that his regret and apology was not an admission of “personal guilt”.

The Italian’s statement, issued by his lawyers, also insisted that the settlement was not a recognition that the FIA’s verdict about Nelson Piquet Jr’s deliberate Singapore crash being true was “well-founded”.

“No further comment will be made by Flavio Briatore, who wishes to put behind him this matter and focus on his plans for the future,” added the statement.
GMM