Italian press not exactly happy - 7th August 21:18pm GMT

Ferrari on Monday defended Michael Schumacher from charges that he threw away a golden opportunity to give his championship bid a crucial boost in Hungary this weekend .

Three laps from the end of a thrilling Hungarian GP, the German tried to defend his third place by blocking an overtaking manoeuvre by Nick Heidfeld of BMW. But his action led to a sideways contact which damaged his own car .

Schumacher was forced to retire, losing precious points which would have brought him much closer to rival Fernando Alonso in the championship standings. The Spaniard had already retired after a wheel nut flew off, leaving his car undrivable .

The Italian press was quick to note on Monday that if the German had simply let Heidfeld pass and accepted fourth place, he would have picked up five points and cut Alonso's lead to six .

Schumacher Wastes His Chance, said Gazzetta dello Sport on its front page, adding on an inside page that the German had been "too aggressive"