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F1: Schumacher suffers fall in German motorbike race

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Khatir Soltani
By GMM

Michael Schumacher finished one race in 28th place and had a fall in the other as he made his guest debut in the German motorbike championships at the Oschersleben circuit last weekend.

After his intended pseudonym - Marcel Niederhausen of Stuttgart - was revealed by the press, the 39-year-old German ultimately raced under his real name and attracted hordes of media.

The seven time F1 world champion encountered technical trouble in qualifying and started the morning race 37th of the 39 starters, eventually finishing 28th.

He then climbed up to 21st in race two before falling and sliding into the gravel.

"There are just a few scratches on the bike and probably some good shots for the photographers," Schumacher smiled.

The former Ferrari driver said the fall had left him unfazed.

"I am a racer. I find motorcycles such a lot of fun, but I do not have any plans to enter a race series properly.

"Perhaps I will race from time to time, but always as a guest runner and without ambitions for another career."

Elsewhere on Sunday, Michael's younger brother Ralf finished the DTM race at the Lausitzring fourteenth, while his Mercedes stablemate Paul di Resta won from pole.

Meanwhile, world championship leader Kimi Raikkonen spent his spare weekend on the verges of the FIA GT race at Monza, on invitation by his friend and countryman Toni Vilander.

At Monza, the Finn also caught up on the progress of the F3 team - Double R Racing - that he formed in 2004 with his manager Steve Robertson.
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
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