Ralf return halted

Schumacher's Williams was bumped by David Coulthard's McLaren on lap 37 in Shanghai, although both men resolved their differences without resorting to fisticuffs.

"It's a true pity my race came to an early end," said Schumacher, who suffered spinal fractures and missed six races after slamming into a wall at the U.S. Grand Prix in June.

"He tried to overtake me but I think the move was a bit too optimistic. My car had a puncture after the contact and there was too much damage to fix after coming into the pits."

Coulthard, who survived the bump and went on to finish ninth, acknowledged he may have been pushing too hard.

"I caught Ralf and (Fernando Alonso's) Renault very quickly and tried what was an ambitious move," said the 33-year-old Scot, who will leave McLaren at the end of the year.

"Ralf wasn't going anywhere. You've got to try and make a manoeuvre happen. I tried to overtake but he was committed to the corner and we bumped."

Coulthard went to see Schumacher after the race to clarify what happened and the two men agreed to disagree.

"I saw him, of course," said Coulthard, who has had another difficult season. "If I'm involved in an incident which I think is marginal, I'll always go and speak to the driver.

"It was cordial."

Coulthard, who has yet to secure a drive for next season, was brutally honest when asked about his future plans.

"Either you have a signed contract or you don't," he shrugged. "It's black and white. I leave all the speculation, the 'he said, she said' to others.

"Until I have a contract, I have nothing."