MOTOR SPORT BELGIAN GRAND PRIX:MICHAEL SCHUMACHER has apologised to Rubens Barrichello for almost forcing him into a concrete wall during the Hungarian grand prix.

The apology arrived 25 days after the incident, and Barrichello took delivery of it on his mobile phone, but it still counts as a rare act of contrition from the German.

Schumacher, who will start 10 places back on the grid here on Sunday as his punishment for the incident, had already expressed regret on his website, where he wrote: “The manoeuvre against him was too hard. I didn’t want to endanger him with my manoeuvre. If he had this feeling I am sorry, this was not my intention.”

But now the seven-times world champion has apologised for the first time to the Brazilian, who this weekend in Belgium will be celebrating his 300th grand prix.

Barrichello (38) said yesterday: “I received a message from him today, an SMS. Somebody said to him that I was under the impression he had pushed me on to the wall, and he said it wasn’t the case and he apologised for that. I just said ‘thank you, no problem’. I accepted it, wished him a good weekend, life goes on.”

Schumacher said yesterday: “There were two reasons I sent the text. One of the main reasons is that it is his 300th grand prix and we have quite a lot of history together, so I thought it was appropriate to congratulate him.

“The (second reason was to) clarify the point because he sort of felt that I wanted to push him against the wall and very clearly this was not my ambition.”

The German said he might speak to his former team-mate before this weekend’s race.

Meanwhile, Jenson Button believes “big b***s” will be required to tackle one of the most fearsome corners in Formula One this weekend.

The legendary Eau Rouge represents a different challenge to the 24 drivers on the grid for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix around Spa as they will have up to 150 kilos worth of fuel on board.

That makes the uphill left-right sweep an even more hair-raising proposition than normal, particularly if running side-by-side with a rival. Due to the weight there is a serious risk of bottoming out, the car losing grip and with it increasing the chance of a collision should there be a duel through the corner where speeds can hit 180mph.

“With 140 to 150 kilos in the tank it’s going to be pretty tough, really tricky,” said Button.

“We need to make sure people know where the edge of the circuit is because you’re going to get a lot of people trying to go straight.

“They’ll be thinking it won’t get noticed because it’s a massive benefit, so we need to make that clear to (FIA race director) Charlie Whiting beforehand, which I will do. The first lap is pretty manic anyway, with a wide start but then it narrows up at turn one.

“Then you have Eau Rouge, side by side through there on 150 kilos hitting the floor, it’s going to be pretty crazy.

“It will be F1’s version of chicken going through there. It will be a case of how stupid can you be, rather than how brave.

“But at least there is a bit of run off on the exit and if you do have to go side by side you can take avoiding action.” Button goes into the race 14 points behind championship leader Mark Webber and without a win since mid-April, a run of eight races, when he took the chequered flag in China.

There is hope, that despite being trounced by Red Bull in the last outing in Hungary almost four weeks ago, that McLaren can claw back some of the deficit so glaringly lost in Budapest.

The reason being that Spa is a relatively low downforce circuit, so aiding the McLarens in comparison to Red Bull and Ferrari.