Ross Brawn has defended Michael Schumacher following a manoeuvre that left Rubens Barrichello claiming he was lucky to be alive.
Barrichello slated former Ferrari team-mate Schumacher after coming within millimetres of crashing into the pit wall as he attempted to pass the seven-times champion in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Mercedes star Schumacher deliberately moved across to his right to block Barrichello, almost pushing him into the concrete, only for the Williams driver to squeeze past with a hair's breadth to spare.
Following the race Barrichello, who spent six years in Schumacher's shadow at Ferrari, was far from amused, claiming the 41-year-old has resorted to "a go-kart manoeuvre."
A fuming Barrichello added: "If he wants to go to heaven - in the event he is going to heaven - I don't want to go before him."
The stewards came down on Barrichello's side as they hit Schumacher with a 10-place grid penalty for the next race in Belgium on August 29.
Brawn, however, has claimed the punishment was "pretty tough" on Schumacher, and suggested by virtue of his comments, Barrichello perhaps had an axe to grind.
"I don't think for a moment Michael was trying to put Rubens in the wall," said Brawn.
"He was trying to discourage him from coming down the inside as he thought that was where he would be vulnerable.
"So he moved across to the inside to try and encourage Rubens to go around the outside.
"At the end of the day he gave him enough space. You can argue it was marginal, but it was tough racing.
"F1 is a tough business and these things happen in a fraction of a second."
Asked whether the history between them had a bearing, Brawn added: "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."
