Speaking last weekend, Bernie Ecclestone said that one of the reasons that there appeared to be so few 'characters' in contemporary F1, is down to the media.

"Fifteen or twenty years ago half the field were characters," said the F1 supremo, "but that doesn't happen anymore.

"Mind you," he continued, "I'd be upset if I was a driver and I had to listen to journalists - we get around 800 at each Grand Prix - all asking the same silly questions. Nobody comes up with anything original, so I guess they get fed up."

There was a classic example at yesterday's press conference when a British journalist opted to ask a question that we already know the answer to.

"You have a seventh world championship, 82 wins, why do you carry on doing it?" he asked Michael Schumacher.

The German put his hand over his mouth and pretended to yawn, causing many of the reporters present to burst into laughter. Same old questions.

"Because you're bored?" asked the journalist, clearly confused.

"You understood the answer," replied Schumacher. "At least, your colleagues did!"

However the journalist refused to give in and referring to the German's crash at Monza last week said: "No, it's a serious question. That could have cost you your life, what happened last week. You know that."

By now Schumacher was clearly bored with the way the journalist was refusing to accept what he said, he replied, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"First of all, I don't think it could have cost me my life," he said. "And second, I still love what I am doing, and I keep repeating it and it is difficult for you to understand. For me it is very easy to understand."