Schumi joins criticism on tyre warmer ban

Michael Schumacher has joined Pedro de la Rosa's call for re-thinking the tyre warmers ban in 2009. The drivers are concerned that without tyre warmers and with the re-introduction of slick tyres next season, there would be large differences in speed between cars already up to tyre temperature and those on out-laps.

Michael Schumacher, who has been testing the 2009 slick tyres at Barcelona yesterday, said: "I think they will have to rethink this approach, because everybody already has tyre blankets. We don't save anything, we don't do anything other than make it more difficult for everybody."

Earlier this week Pedro de la Rosa said on the tyre warmer ban: "The first lap is very slow, and that's the danger. There are cars which are up to racing speed and you are coming out of the pits very slowly. You are like a mobile chicane. That's the problem that this kind of rules has."