World champion Michael Schumacher became a bystander in the warm up for today's Spanish Grand Prix when his Ferrari broke down and was pushed off the track.
The German, on pole for the third year in a row and leading the Formula One championship by 14 points, still managed the third fastest time in an interrupted session dominated by team mate Rubens Barrichello.
Schumacher slowed and coasted to a halt about five minutes before the end with a hydraulics problem. Marshals came to his assistance, pushing the F2002 across the track to the grass infield where the four times world champion remained as a spectator.
Red flags came out to halt the session shortly afterwards when the Minardi of Australian Mark Webber shed its rear wing at speed on the main straight.
The team had flown their front wings back to Italy overnight for strengthening after they came off both Webber's and Malaysian Alex Yoong's cars on yesterday.
Since then Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart has pulled his cars out of the Spanish Grand Prix on safety grounds:
"The toughest decision a team owner or a team ever has to make is to withdraw its cars on safety grounds. That is exactly what we are doing today sadly," he told reporters.