Full Throttle

Schumi ripped for missing awards: “I understand Birgit Fischer’s anger,” Matthaeus said. “These awards need the presence of the winner. Schumacher owes sport a big thanks. The fans want to see him live, not on video.”

The Bild newspaper, Germany’s biggest, devoted a long story to Schumacher’s absence at the event, including a picture of the Ferrari driver in dark shades sipping on a drink that made him look aloof. “Is ‘Schumi’ really arrogant or are the others just jealous?” was Bild’s giant headline.

Dutchman Christijan Albers named as first Minardi driver: Christijan Albers was of course more then happy. “Finally, we made it to F1. I am very happy. It had to happen now, and it did. I am really looking forward to the season, it will be strange, just to be there, but I am sure I will get used to being an F1 driver quickly. I can not wait for the first race!”

McLaren’s F1 principal is ‘amused’ that the media seems to think fire-plus-ice is an explosive combination. Woking-born ‘CEO’ Ron Dennis denied that the arrival of Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya as 2005 teammate for ‘iceman‘ Finn Kimi Raikkonen could be anything ‘but positive.’

Christmas came early for Pizzonia: Antonio Pizzonia became a proud father earlier this week when his long-time girlfriend, Maureen Maggi, gave birth to a baby girl. The baby, who the couple have named Sofia, was born on Tuesday in Pizzonia’s hometown of Manaus, in the Amazon region of Brazil. She weighed 3,190kgs at birth.

And because it’s Christmas, here is a list of possible presents being exchanged by F1 drivers and one example:

To Michael Schumacher from Ralf Schumacher
Present: 148