“The support that they gave us and all the problems the Spanish people are
facing at this time … yesterday we saw all the flags in the windows and on
the street so there is some kind of pride in being Spanish right now with
the sport: with Rafael Nadal, with the Spanish football team, and I felt
that I needed to do something. Today is a very emotional day.”
Schumacher was also clearly emotional after achieving first podium since
returning to Formula One in 2010, having come from 12th on the grid.
The seven-time champion said he had had no idea where he had finished after
the late drama involving McLaren’s
Lewis Hamilton, and was so unused to being in the top-three press conference
he gave one long and rambling answer in English when he had been asked to
speak in German.
No one had the heart to stop him.
Schumacher, though, was made to sweat for his third place after stewards
decided to not impose a penalty on him for using DRS under yellow flags.
“The team and myself have been criticised here and there, particularly lately,
and this is the best way to answer criticism, to go back and deliver as we
did today,” he said.