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Schumacher celebrates a second place finish at the 1997 German Grand Prix
time during qualifying, the Canadian driver started the race in pole position due to his being the first to set the time. By the first corner of the race, Schumacher was ahead of Villeneuve. On lap 48, Villeneuve passed Schumacher at the Dry Sack Corner. As he did so, Schumacher turned his car into the Williams car, the right-front wheel of Schumacher's Ferrari hitting the left side pod of Villeneuve's car. Schumacher retired from the race immediately while Villeneuve was able to finish the race in the third place, taking four points and so becoming the World Champion.
Two weeks after the race, Schumacher was excluded from the results for the season after a FIA disciplinary hearing disqualified him, finding that his "manoeuvre was an instinctive reaction and although deliberate not made with malice or premeditation. It was a serious error." This made him the only driver in the history of the sport, as of 2009 to be disqualified from a World Championship. Schumacher accepted the decision and admitted having made a mistake.
Team Orders
Historically, team orders had always been an accepted part of Formula One. However, during Schumacher's tenure at both Benetton and Ferrari, the team often employed team orders as a matter of routine. Schumacher would generally benefit, with the exception of the final 2 races of 1999, when he supported Eddie Irvine's title bid. This did not attract significant controversy in years where Schumacher was clearly involved in a title battle with drivers from other
teams, but his dominant years (2001–2004) saw many accuse him and Ferrari of deploying team orders in a manner that undermined the sport and damaged its credibility.
At the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, Schumacher's teammate, Rubens Barrichello, took pole and led the race from the start. In the final metres of the race, the Brazilian driver, under orders from Ferrari, slowed his car to make way for Schumacher to pass and win the race. This angered fans who were watching the race and it was claimed that the team's actions showed a lack of sportsmanship and respect to the spectators, with many claiming that Schumacher did not need to be "gifted" wins in only the 6th race of the season, particularly given that he had already won 4 of the previous 5 grands prix, and that Barrichello had dominated the race weekend up to