Schumacher plays down Montoya clash

Michael Schumacher has toned down his criticism of Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya after reviewing their clash at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Montoya, leading in the Williams, blocked the world champion's Ferrari on the 16th lap as the German tried to pass him on the outside, bringing both cars to a near standstill as others slipped past.

"Having watched the race on television and seen what happened, I can say that it was less serious than I had thought at the time," Schumacher said on his personal website.

"I want to make it clear that in my opinion it was a normal race incident, as indeed I said later on Sunday night.

"It has to be said that when you sit in the car you don't get the overview of the situation which you can have looking from outside," the triple world champion added.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said Schumacher would have won the race comfortably if the clash had not happened.

"Schumacher could have won but for the incident with Montoya," Montezemolo told Ferrari's website. "I think it could have been quite an easy win."

Montezemolo backed Ferrari's decision to invoke team orders in the race, allowing Schumacher to finish second ahead of Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello behind McLaren's David Coulthard.

However, Montezemolo said Barrichello would have been allowed to win if he had been leading the race.

"It would have been different if he had been in the lead and then no one would have touched him," he said. "The difference between second and third places doesn't change anything."