The ‘horrible’ move that could have got Michael Schumacher disqualified at the 2010 Hungarian GP

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Michael Schumacher made a sensational Formula 1 comeback in 2010 with the Mercedes team. Four years on from his first retirement, the ex-Ferrari driver was back.

There were flashes of brilliance from Schumacher across his three-year stint at Brackley. Most notably, he set the fastest time in qualifying for the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix, though he didn’t start from pole because of a gearbox penalty.

The seven-time world champion scored the one and only podium of his return at the 2012 European GP in Valencia. For the most part, it was clear that he was long past his best.

Schumacher struggled up against future title-winner and fellow German Nico Rosberg. He would be outscored 324-207 over the three seasons.

In the autumn of 2012, he announced that he was retiring for good at the age of 43. Lewis Hamilton arrived as his replacement and went on to match him for total championships.

More than a decade on, Schumacher’s former rival Fernando Alonso is trying to succeed where he failed. Alonso will be racing in F1 until he’s 45 after signing a new deal at Aston Martin in the hope of winning a third title.

Michael Schumacher nearly put Rubens Barrichello in the wall at Hungarian Grand Prix

When he returned to F1, Schumacher went up against Rubens Barrichello, his former teammate at Ferrari. They spent six years together at Maranello, with Barrichello very much in his shadow as he won five straight championships.

In 2010, Barrichello, who’d fought for the world title with Brawn the year before, was racing for Williams. And in the closing stages of the Hungarian Grand Prix, he tried to execute a move on his old colleague for the 10th and final points place.

This was pre-DRS, but the Brazilian got a superior exit coming out of the long final corner and positioned himself in Schumacher’s slipstream. He was able to pull alongside as they approached the pit exit, but the Mercedes driver continued to edge to the right.

That meant Barrichello was a matter of centimetres from being pushed into the pit wall at high speed. Predictably, he quickly expressed his fury over the team radio, calling for a disqualification.

“He should be black-flagged for that!” he said. “Black flag! That was horrible. If he wants to go heaven before me, I don’t care.”

Alain Prost names big similarity between Schumacher and Max Verstappen

Schumacher initially refused to accept that he was in the wrong, though he did directly apologise a few weeks later. The stewards handed him a 10-place grid penalty for the following race in Belgium.

His wheel-to-wheel tactics were a source of controversy throughout his F1 career, but this was particularly dramatic. Alain Prost says that Max Verstappen and Ayrton Senna have the same ruthless reputation.

Schumacher won at the Hungaroring four times over the course of his career. His 2001 victory sealed his fourth championship with four rounds to spare.

And when he won there for the final time in 2004, Ferrari clinched the constructors’ crown. Only Lewis Hamilton (eight wins) has been more successful at the Hungaroring overall.