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Damon Hill has revealed he has received hate mail from angry Michael Schumacher fans after he was involved in the stewards’ decision to penalise his old rival for his last-lap pass on Fernando Alonso in Monaco.

1996 world champion and current BRDC president Hill was the ex-driver that sat on the four-man stewards’ panel for last weekend’s race, with the one major call they had to make coming in the final moments of the race when Schumacher overtook Ferrari’s Alonso for sixth place.

They ultimately handed Schumacher a 20s penalty – which relegated him out of the points to 12th – after ruling the German had broken the regulation which forbids passing if the safety car has been out on the final lap.

Mercedes felt the move was legitimate given race control had signalled the race had re-started and is set to appeal the verdict.

Hill – who famously lost the world title to Schumacher in 1994 when the pair collided in the Adelaide title decider amid a two-year period in which they clashed on several occasions – has now revealed he has been on the receiving end of heavy criticism from fans of the seven-time champion who have accused him of bias.

"The hate mail has started," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

"I know most people will believe me when I say I acted entirely properly and correctly but inevitably I have already received some stinging emails accusing me of prejudice."
The introduction of experienced former drivers onto the stewards’ panel at each grand prix from this season was one of the centre points of new FIA president Jean Todt’s election manifesto, in an apparent bid to alleviate concerns about the quality of decisions following widespread criticism of certain penalties over recent years.

Hill had been following in the footsteps of Alain Prost and Johnny Herbert in serving on the panel since the first race but admits he found the experience an “uncomfortable” one, particularly as he had to rule directing on former nemesis Schumacher.

Indeed the Briton thinks it may be better in future if drivers are used in a consultancy role, rather than having to be the ones directly applying the rulebook.

“I was slightly uncomfortable being put in that position of being a full FIA representative," Hill admitted.

"I imagined I would be there providing driver insight to the stewards, who would then make the decisions. My expertise is as a driver rather than a lawmaker or interpreter of regulations.

"Partly, of course, my discomfort was because we were called to make a ruling on an incident involving Michael. And there was definitely a wry smile when he walked into the stewards' room.
"I thought it might be more appropriate for drivers to act as consultants to the stewards rather than as stewards themselves."Damon Hill has revealed he has received hate mail from angry Michael Schumacher fans after he was involved in the stewards’ decision to penalise his old rival for his last-lap pass on Fernando Alonso in Monaco.

1996 world champion and current BRDC president Hill was the ex-driver that sat on the four-man stewards’ panel for last weekend’s race, with the one major call they had to make coming in the final moments of the race when Schumacher overtook Ferrari’s Alonso for sixth place.

They ultimately handed Schumacher a 20s penalty – which relegated him out of the points to 12th – after ruling the German had broken the regulation which forbids passing if the safety car has been out on the final lap.

Mercedes felt the move was legitimate given race control had signalled the race had re-started and is set to appeal the verdict.

Hill – who famously lost the world title to Schumacher in 1994 when the pair collided in the Adelaide title decider amid a two-year period in which they clashed on several occasions – has now revealed he has been on the receiving end of heavy criticism from fans of the seven-time champion who have accused him of bias.

"The hate mail has started," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

"I know most people will believe me when I say I acted entirely properly and correctly but inevitably I have already received some stinging emails accusing me of prejudice."
The introduction of experienced former drivers onto the stewards’ panel at each grand prix from this season was one of the centre points of new FIA president Jean Todt’s election manifesto, in an apparent bid to alleviate concerns about the quality of decisions following widespread criticism of certain penalties over recent years.

Hill had been following in the footsteps of Alain Prost and Johnny Herbert in serving on the panel since the first race but admits he found the experience an “uncomfortable” one, particularly as he had to rule directing on former nemesis Schumacher.

Indeed the Briton thinks it may be better in future if drivers are used in a consultancy role, rather than having to be the ones directly applying the rulebook.

“I was slightly uncomfortable being put in that position of being a full FIA representative," Hill admitted.

"I imagined I would be there providing driver insight to the stewards, who would then make the decisions. My expertise is as a driver rather than a lawmaker or interpreter of regulations.

"Partly, of course, my discomfort was because we were called to make a ruling on an incident involving Michael. And there was definitely a wry smile when he walked into the stewards' room.
"I thought it might be more appropriate for drivers to act as consultants to the stewards rather than as stewards themselves."