 Schumacher: Not Laughing at Coulthard Tuesday July 31st, 2001 World Champion Michael Schumacher has said after the German Grand Prix that he was not laughing at David Coulthard's retirement from Sunday's race. The television pictures showed the German driver, who had retired on lap 23 following a mechanical failure in his Ferrari, smiling right after Coulthard's McLaren suffered an engine problem, thus being unable to get closer to Schumacher in the Championship. But Schumacher, who kept his 37-point lead and who could clinch his fourth title at the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 19, made it clear that he was not laughing at Coulthard. "I was told that it looked as though I was laughing when David retired from the race but that's not why I was smiling," Schumacher said. "I was just having a laugh with two of the marshals while I was waiting at the side of the track. "They had an old radio with which I could just about find out what was happening on the track. It was only later that I learned David had to retire, so then I kept an eye on the track and realised David had not come past. So I found out he was out, but not at the exact time it happened."
Published at 17:11:45 GMT
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