Niki Lauda says it is ‘possible’ that Michael Schumacher last weekend threw away his last opportunity to win an eighth world championship.
”If he had driven with more brains,” the outspoken triple world champion told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, ”he could have been just five or six points behind instead of ten.
”He cannot make any more mistakes.”
Ferrari’s Schumacher, who in Hungary was penalised before qualifying by overtaking under red flag conditions, then dropped out when he clashed with Nick Heidfeld late in the race.
”I can’t explain it,” Austrian Lauda, 57, added. ”He’s not completely brainless, otherwise he would never have won seven titles, but he does have some big weaknesses and for a long time I have wondered why.”
Lauda reckons 37-year-old Schumacher’s biggest weakness is his inability to admit an error.
”He’s done it his whole career,” Niki Lauda continued. ”It was the same with the incident in Monaco and it is the same now.
”Sportsmen need to know how to own up to a mistake and learn from it. But (team boss Jean) Todt always backs him up.”
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