Ralf appeal to be televised

Three leading drivers were taken out in the collision Ralf punished for pile-up Williams may switch strategy Ferrari 'face another beating'

Ralf Schumacher's appeal against the punishment he received following a pile-up at the German Grand Prix began in front of television cameras on Tuesday morning.

The Williams team hope to overturn a decision that will see Schumacher demoted 10 positions down the grid from his qualifying position at the next race in Hungary.

The accident took Schumacher, Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello and McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen out of the race at the first corner.

But Williams have asked the Court of Appeal of the sport's governing body the FIA to review the incident on the grounds that they do not believe Schumacher was exclusively to blame.

The hearing in Paris will be the first of its kind to be televised and the court will announce its verdict on Wednesday.

Schumacher, 28, admitted to the stewards that he had paid no attention to the position of other drivers as they raced from the start.

But Schumacher has expressed his surprise at being blamed for the incident that led to six cars retiring from the race, including his own.

"I'm truly shocked," Schumacher told German newspaper Bild. "I didn't do anything wrong. I'm definitely not a Rambo."

"It's very disappointing but incidents do happen when there are so many people around," said the German.

"I don't think I moved too far to the left, I was just trying to defend my position."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis described the crash a "racing incident", in which no single driver was to blame.

But Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello, who was sandwiched between Schumacher and McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen in the accident, believes both the German and the Finn took too many risks.