Monaco stewards too busy to investigate Barrichello

19/05/2010

One of the stewards on duty at Monaco last weekend has admitted that Rubens Barrichello should have faced investigation after throwing his steering wheel on to the track.

However, Paul Gutjahr, one of four stewards on duty on Sunday, admits that in their need to investigate the last lap incident involving Michael Schumacher, there wasn't time to check out Barrichello's apparent 'toys out of the pram' moment, even though it took place almost 50 laps earlier.

"Actually, I had Barrichello on my list," Gutjahr told Blick. "But it was so hectic following the Schumacher case the incident got overlooked."

Barrichello has since said that he threw the steering wheel on to the track in his haste to get out of his car, however, fans who have seen the incident - which saw Karun Chandhok drive over the £20,000 bit of kit - like Gutjahr know otherwise. In terms of hissy fits and tantrums, Barrichello has history.

In another incident that went unpunished, on Saturday, Jenson Button threw his TV remote control out of his car as he rounded Rascasse, the device having been left in his car by mistake. The following day, the Englishman was forced to retire on the second lap of the race when his engine overheated after a cooling cover was accidentally left off the left-hand radiator of his McLaren.