Ross Brawn is adamant Michael Schumacher was not trying to put Rubens Barrichello into the wall in Hungary, rather he was trying to "discourage him".
Fighting for the final points-paying position in the Hungarian GP, Schumacher moved across the track, squeezing Barrichello towards the wall, which the Brazilian only just managed to avoid hitting
The Hungarian stewards ruled that Schumacher had ""illegitimately impeded" Barrichello and slapped with a ten-grid slot penalty for the next race in Belgium.
'I don't think for a moment that Michael was trying to put Rubens in the wall - but he was trying to discourage him'...
Ross Brawn
However, his Mercedes GP team boss reckons that was a "tough" call.
"Pretty tough - a tough move by Michael and a tough decision by the stewards," said Brawn.
"I don't think for a moment that Michael was trying to put Rubens in the wall - but he was trying to discourage him from coming down the inside because he thought that was where he would be vulnerable.
"But at the end of the day he gave him enough space. You can argue that it was marginal but - tough racing.
He added: "Later in the manoeuvre you can see he moved away from Rubens, I don't think he expected Rubens to be exactly where he was at that time because it is a sort of manoeuvre that happens when you enter a corner not that far up a straight.
"Rubens got a very good run out of the last corner with his new tyres so I think there is lots of way arguing it - but these things happen in a fraction of a second."
The Mercedes GP team boss was also adamant that there was no malicious intent behind Schumacher's move.
"It may have ended up in a dangerous way but that wasn't the intent I am sure by Michael," he said.
"Michael was defending his position, trying to encourage Rubens to go around the outside. I don't think for a moment that he saw Rubens there and thought 'I will squeeze him'.
"But it is a pretty tough business F1 and if you open up every time someone tries to attack you then you know the drivers in F1 who don't defend and those that do."
Asked whether the 'history' between the two former Ferrari team-mates had played a role in Schumacher's aggressive driving, Brawn said: "Certainly not from Michael's perspective!
"Michael didn't comment on that. I know Rubens has commented on the history between them, but Michael hasn't at all. It is obviously something that is paramount in Rubens' mind."
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