News briefs from Magny Cours: Saturday 3

(GMM) Following criticism about his refusal to speak to the press at grands prix, Ferrari 'advisor' Michael Schumacher broke his silence at Magny Cours to insist that his intention is not to neglect his fans. "I simply prefer a calmer life now," the German said.

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FIA president Max Mosley on Friday warned that Silverstone will drop off the calendar if significant improvements to the British grand prix venue are not promised. "Either business, or the government, puts the money in or they will lose the grand prix. I don't think there's any doubt they will lose it if they don't," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Express.

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The 'customer car' row reared its head for the first time in several weeks at Magny Cours, with Spyker boss Colin Kolles reportedly complaining about Honda-clone updates on the Super Aguri car. "Arbitration is ongoing and there's nothing more to say," he said, before his orange-colored backmarkers lagged the pace of their nearest competitors by a huge 1.5 seconds in qualifying.