By PAUL LOGOTHETISAP Auto Racing Writer
MONACO − Michael Schumacher will start his first Monaco Grand Prix in four years in a disappointing seventh place after Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg inadvertently blocked him during qualifying on Saturday.
Even with 24 cars on the grid, Schumacher a five-time winner of the famous street race said traffic was not a problem “except for once unintentionally with Nico.''
“I don't think it would have been my quickest lap time anyways but it would have been a banker anyway,'' Schumacher said. “You know what Monaco is like so often it happens.''
Rosberg apologized to Schumacher even though his 41-year-old teammate said the block came down to a team failure rather than an individual one.
“Michael was annoyed after his second or third lap,'' team principal Ross Brawn said. “But after I explained, he was OK. Just frustrated.''
Brawn said Rosberg's car release malfunctioned during the final qualifying session, which led to both teammates getting on track at the same time.
Both Brawn and Rosberg were left feeling ``extremely frustrated'' after having had a strong car in practices.
“We didn't reach our potential,'' Brawn said. “This year we're not as quick as we ought to be and we missed a chance to have a go. My instinct, my feeling, is we're not there yet.''
Schumacher hopes to make up a couple of positions in Sunday's race as the seven-time world champion comes to the Mediterranean principality on the back of a season-best fourth-place in Barcelona.
Rosberg, meanwhile, labeled his sixth-place start ``disappointing'' after Mercedes showed good pace in practices.
“I had a good chance to go all the way,'' said Rosberg, who trails overall leader Jenson Button by 20 points after five races. “The whole Q3, nothing went right. I couldn't get a rhythm. I didn't have one good lap till the last lap.''
Red Bull's Mark Webber starts the 78-lap race from pole.
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