Michael Schumacher was penalised 10 places on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix on August 29 after his controversial blocking move on Rubens Barrichello at yesterday's race in Hungary.

Williams driver Barrichello tried to pass the Mercedes of the seven-time world champion in the closing stages at the Hungaroring, but the German squeezed him against the pit wall.

A furious Barrichello got through to claim 10th spot, while the race stewards later punished Schumacher, who had finished in 11th, stating he "illegitimately impeded car 9 during an overtaking manoeuvre."

The driver of car number nine was Brazilian Barrichello, the 41-year-old's former Ferrari team-mate, who declared after the race that the German was "crazy" and should have been disqualified.

Barrichello and Schumacher endured a tempestuous relationship during their six-year partnership at Ferrari when the Brazilian was routinely forced to play the role of support driver.

And Barrichello said that he believed that Schumacher had deliberately targeted him because of differences between them in the past.

"He's taking something from the past into the present and there's no need for that. It was the most dangerous manoeuvre against me I have ever known," said Barrichello.

Barrichello attacked on the inside in his Williams, but Schumacher, in his Mercedes, swerved to the right and almost forced him into a concrete wall.

"That was horrible and that should be a black flag," said Barrichello to his team on the radio immediately after the incident, shortly before the stewards announced they were going to investigate the incident.

"Luckily the wall finished there and I was able to go a bit more to the right. Take a line and stick to a line."

Later Barrichello said: "He made a mistake on the last corner and he's just a bit too close. What we want from racing is to have battles, but to be fair."

He added: "His view is always that I'm a big cry-baby, but that's not true. I want to know what the public think."

Told that Barrichello had described the incident as the most dangerous of his long 296-races career, Schumacher smiled: "Well, certain drivers have their views," he said.

"Well, there's not much to say. He obviously had fresher tyres and my job was to get the last corner spot on," said the German.

"I had a line of about 5cms and I was making it obvious to him to go on the other side - there was more room there! But he chose not to."