BUDAPEST, Aug 6 - Ferrari and Michael Schumacher missed a golden
opportunity on Sunday to take a decisive step forward in the Formula One title
battle.
Schumacher, winner of the last three races, retired three laps from the
finish of a rain-soaked and chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix with a broken track
rod.
Renault's championship leader Fernando Alonso had already crashed out by that
stage and Schumacher would have slashed the Spaniard's advantage to single
figures had he only managed to keep going.
With five races remaining, Alonso -- who had led much of the race despite
starting 15th after a time penalty in qualifying for dangerous driving --
remained 11 points clear.
"Of course I am very disappointed," said Schumacher, his race also
compromised by a two second penalty in qualifying for overtaking under a red
warning flag in practice.
"We had a great opportunity but we did not take it.
"All weekend, and especially the race, was something of a roller-coaster and
in the end we found ourselves back where we started, although with one less race
to go."
The track rod broke as BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld went past, the cars banging
wheels as the younger German tried to take third place from the 37-year-old.
Schumacher slowed and crawled back to the pits.
The seven-times world champion had already been trying to defend his position
on wets while the track, soaked at the start, had dried and rivals had switched
to dry weather tyres.
"With hindsight it is easy to say that this situation could have been
avoided," said team boss Jean Todt. "But there is no point crying over spilt
milk."
Brazilian Felipe Massa brought home the team's sole point, finishing eighth
after starting on the front row to trim Renault's lead in the constructors'
championship to nine points.
"It's true that when you look at what happened in the race, the outcome could
have been much worse," said technical director Ross Brawn.
"But it is still hard to swallow," he added.
"It was very frustrating in the first half. We weren't very fast when it was
wet but the race was coming towards us... we had a chance to make up a lot of
points and we didn't."
