Dream on, McLaren boss tells Schumacher and Irvine

MELBOURNE, MARCH 13: Michael Schumacher was dreaming if he thought his Australian Grand Prix victory was down to masterful driving, accord...

MELBOURNE, MARCH 13: Michael Schumacher was dreaming if he thought his Australian Grand Prix victory was down to masterful driving, according to McLaren team boss Ron Dennis. He said McLaren might have failed to finish the race but were in control until engine failure put both cars out and Schumacher into the lead. The German said he had the race under control and had engineered the victory, but Dennis said it was more to do with good furtune.

“By the time we had our problems we were already thinking of conserving fuel and throttling back and we were still pulling out a lead,” he said. “We were doing all the things that you do when you are dominating a race from the front. We actually had it all in hand and for him to say he was just sitting there waiting for us to fail is ludicrous. We know Schumacher was deeply upset not to have got pole and what he is saying is a load of bullshit. Is Michael saying he is deliberately struggling, falling back and making life difficult for himself? I don’t buy it.”

Speaking at a press conference Sunday in the wake of McLaren’s disappointing start to the 2000 Formula One season, where neither of their two cars finished, Dennis said he also had his suspicions about Ferrari team orders. Schumacher’s teammate Rubens Barrichello swears there is no pecking order and he is free to pass the German and challenge for victory.

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With 14 laps to go on Sunday he did just that but within minutes Ferrari team bosses ordered him into the pits, where he had already been only 12 laps earlier, thus becoming the only driver among those who finished to make two stops. “Anyway you cut it, mathematically, it just does not add up,” said Dennis. “Rubens was a sacrificial lamb the minute they put him on a two stop strategy. For some reason they sacrificed Rubens and the only reason I can see for that is for it to work for Michael.”

Dennis also claimed that Eddie Irvine, the former Ferrari driver who is now spearheading Jaguar, was imagining things. The Irishman said over the weekend that he had turned down a chance to drive for McLaren this year because the salary wasn’t good enough. “I told then I wasn’t going to drive for the sort of figures (David) Coulthard is supposed to earn,” said Irvine. “It is not as if Ron can’t afford it. You have got to pay people what they think they are worth. He told me I was better than Coulthard, but not better enough to take the risk.”

Dennis said it wasn’t true. “It is wrong for Eddie to say he chose not to drive for McLaren because of financial discussions. They never took place,” he told reporters. “He may be a colourful character but he shouldn’t rewrite history.” He said Irvine wasn’t offered a contract because “we thought David and Mika (Hakkinen) were the best drivers.”