Schumacher, please explain

PARIS: Michael Schumacher has been summoned to motorsport headquarters in Paris to explain his actions in relation to last Sunday's championship-deciding clash with Jacques Villeneuve.

While race stewards at Jerez dismissed the collision as a "racing incident", world reaction has prompted the sport's highest body to look at it again.

Many observers of the video footage of the incident have concluded that Schumacher, in turning hard into the side of the passing Villeneuve's car, was attempting to take the Canadian out.

Even if it meant terminal damage to his own car, Villeneuve's departure would have won the championship for Schumacher, who started the day with a one-point advantage over the Canadian.

Even the normally strongly supportive German and Italian media has criticised Schumacher's actions.

The two-time world champion will thus appear before an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on Nov. 11.

Potential penalties, if he is found guilty of misconduct, include a fine or possible ban for one or more races.