 | SPANISH GRAND PRIX 1 K Raikkonen (McLaren)
2 F Alonso (Renault)
3 J Trulli (Toyota)
4 R Schumacher (Toyota)
5 G Fisichella (Renault)
6 M Webber (Williams)
7 J P Montoya (McLaren)
8 D Coulthard (Red Bull)
|
Michael Schumacher insists he has not given up on the drivers' title despite failing to finish at the Spanish GP. Schumacher's Ferrari was third when a puncture forced him to retire for the third time in five races this season.
"I don't know what happened. I may have picked up some debris, but I didn't see anything. For something to happen to that front left tyre is unusual.
"No doubt [the title] is moving away from us. But not so far away that we already have to give it up," he said.
"We will keep on working and we will keep on trying."
Fernando Alonso's second place for Renault behind McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen has stretched the Spaniard's championship lead to 18 points.
And Schumacher, who won 13 times last season but has yet to do so this year, is now 34 points adrift.
|  Third would have been realistic |
The German had been seeking a fifth straight Spanish Grand Prix victory, which would have equalled the record of five in a row at a single venue set by Ayrton Senna at Monaco from 1989-1993. But he was forced to make an unscheduled stop on the 44th of 66 laps with a deflating rear left tyre.
His front left tyre then failed two laps later, sending him ploughing through the gravel, and he cruised back to the pits and into the garage.
"Third would have been realistic," said Schumacher.
"I could have stayed out quite a bit longer than Fernando, but I don't think it would have been enough to make up those 11 or 12 seconds. But I would have tried."
As has been the case in previous races this year, Schumacher got much quicker as the race wore on, calling into question the performance of Ferrari's Bridgestone tyres.
"It would be ideal to have the same pace at the beginning as at the end, but that's something you've got to work at," he said.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
