The behaviour of Michael Schumacher and the image of Formula One's top teams come under scrutiny on Tuesday when the German stands before a disciplinary hearing of the sport's ruling body.

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has summoned Schumacher to explain his collision with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve during last month's final and decisive European Grand Prix at Jerez in Spain, where Villeneuve went on to win the world title.

Schumacher's Ferrari hit the side of Villeneuve's Williams in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to remove him from the race and take the championship.

With a one-point lead going into the race, Schumacher knew he would take the title if Villeneuve failed to finish. He has claimed that he did not drive into the Canadian's car deliberately, only by mistake.

He has defended himself by claiming his move was the result of an instinctive error of judgement.

The smash ended in failure for Schumacher, who spun out while Villeneuve drove on in a damaged car to finish third behind the winner Mika Hakkinen of Finland and McLaren team-mate Briton David Coulthard.

Schumacher risks being fined and banned for one or more Grands Prix if found guilty of dangerous driving.

His defence, according to reports in The Times newspaper last Saturday, will refer to claims that the McLaren and Williams teams colluded during the race.

These claims have been vehemently denied by both teams, although Villeneuve allowed the two McLaren drivers through on the final lap.

He said he did so because his car was damaged and he did not want to risk not finishing the race.

The McLaren drivers had also not threatened his scrap with Schumacher earlier in the race when any close competition may have been risky for all concerned.

Newspaper reports in Britain have blamed Ferrari for the suggestions of collusion and for allegedly recording the radio communications of rival teams during races.

The reports have interpreted this leaking of the transcripts to the media as an attempt to create a smokescreen in order to distract attention from Schumacher's hearing.

Jacques Villeneuve: won title after Schumacher collided with him

Ferrari have denied suggestions that Schumacher's car was suffering from a water leak and would not have finished the race, a theory which hinted that it may have been a reason for the driver choosing to take such drastic action.

The reports and various revelations have left Formula One's glamorous image in a poor light.

The Schumacher hearing will attract massive media attention particularly as it comes one week after Formula One was excluded from the British government's planned anti-tobacco advertising and sponsorship in sport ban.

Schumacher has a history of being involved in controversial collisions throughout his career.

In the final heat of the 1990 Macau Grand Prix, a Formula Three event, he smashed into Hakkinen's car and removed him from the race which he went on to win.

One year later, he collided with Briton Derek Warwick in a Group C sports car event in Germany after which the British driver had to be restrained from punching him.

In 1992, he was grabbed by the throat by Ayrton Senna after an altercation during testing in advance of the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

And in 1994, Schumacher was involved in an acrimonious collision with Briton Damon Hill at the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide where both drivers retired.

The crash secured him his first world drivers' title, but left him with a tarnished reputation.
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©