Schumacher cool after mishap at first corner

Michael Schumacher took the positives from a frustrating day in Melbourne that saw him finish 10th in the Australian Grand Prix and pick up only one point. The German, who had previously triumphed four times at the Albert Park track, saw his hopes of a podium finish effectively end at the first corner as his front wing was damaged seriously enough to be changed in the pits after he had been touched by the spinning Ferrari of Fernando Alonso.

Though the seven-times world champion drove back through the field to finish in the points positions, the 41-year-old driver was left to lament what could have been. "I could have had a good race today so it was a pity that I was hit right after the start," he said. "That incident decided my race obviously. But things like that happen and you have to just say 'that's racing'. I had to take the remainder of the race from last position but I have to say that I was still having fun as our pace today was promising."

Schumacher's teammate, Nico Rosberg, was fifth, with the German thankful for a late collision between Lewis Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes and Mark Webber's Red Bull-Renault that allowed him to move up two places from seventh. "We decided to go for a second stop and get some fresh tyres to try to attack the group ahead," said Rosberg. "Even with the tyre advantage, it would have been difficult to pass once we caught up and, therefore, it was good to make up a couple of places when Mark and Lewis had an incident, so I'm pleased with that."