Monday 30 March at 10:00 : Mar.30 (GMM) Michael Schumacher in Australia questioned the stewards' decision to penalise his countryman Sebastian Vettel

Vettel, driving for Red Bull, apologised to his team and BMW's Robert Kubica for the crash near the end of the 2009 season opener

The 21-year-old was also quoted by media as calling himself "an idiot", and it is believed he was equally as frank during the stewards' inquiry

However, not everyone agreed that Vettel was entirely to blame, as he tried to defend his second place to the charging Kubica

"He (Vettel) was on the inside -- he couldn't make his car dissolve into thin air," Ferrari advisor and seven time world champion Schumacher said at Albert Park, according to Germany's Bild newspaper

1982 world champion Keke Rosberg remarked that Vettel may have been penalised because he is an overly "honest chap"

Stewards ruled that he caused the crash and ordered Vettel to start ten places lower than his qualifying position in Malaysia this weekend

"I think it's hard but we just have to accept it," Sebastian said