Germany to blame for car crash: Schumi

The champion buried his car in gravel at the opening practice session, during which he set the fastest time of the day.

Michael Schumacher has said that Michael Ballack and the rest of the German football team were to blame for his car crash during the opening practice session for the United States Grand Prix.

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The world champion buried his car in the gravel during the opening practice session, during which he set the fastest time of the day.

He later admitted that the crash was probably caused by his thinking about Germany's triumphant World Cup quarter-final match against Argentina, which was happening while practice was in progress.

"Let's say I had more problems trying to watch the quarter-finals on TV than I did in the cockpit of my Ferrari," Schumacher said.

"When I went off the track this morning, maybe I was thinking too much about the grass on the football pitch, but I'm very happy Germany won."

Schumacher is desperate to win the US race for a record fifth time as he attempts to close the 25-point gap to Spaniard Fernando Alonso in the World Drivers' Championship.

And, after beating the Renault driver by a tenth of a second in the more meaningful afternoon session, he was in a buoyant mood.

"I am happy with what we have seen today. The situation looks pretty good, which means we can tackle the rest of the weekend with confidence," he said.

"I am fully concentrated now on my main objective - which is to win the race on Sunday."