Schumacher ejected from Monaco club

[Bruce Fielding]

Monte Carlo, Monday:
Formula One driver Michael Schumacher was thrown out of a Monaco nightclub last night after causing a disturbance at the bar, sources say.

The Amber Lounge, long a prestigious haunt for the Formula One community in the Principality, confirmed that a 41-year-old man had been “forcibly removed” from the premises after violating the club’s code of conduct.

It is alleged that once the bell for last orders had been rung, Schumacher pushed his way to the front of the queue to be served drinks, jumping in front of fellow clubber Fernando Alonso. Bouncers quickly resolved the dispute by confiscating the German’s drinks and ushering him to the exit. “He didn’t seem to understand that once the bell for last orders is rung, it doesn’t make it a free-for-all,” an Amber Lounge source said. “We still have rules that need to be followed for the comfort and satisfaction of all our customers.”

Some onlookers, however, were not convinced. Bystander Arthur Gnomely told reporters: “It’s all a bit unfair if you ask me. Michael was asked by Ross Brawn to go and get some drinks at the last minute. He wasn’t to know about the rules! And Fernando was barely even in the queue, just shuffling along complaining about his shoes.

“I spotted Damon Hill having a word with the bouncers just before it all kicked off,” Gnomely continued, by now in a pointless rage. “I bet he had something to do with it.”

Meanwhile, a meeting of FOTA representatives at the Amber Lounge had to be abandoned after none of them could agree on what cocktail to have. The idea of all having different cocktails apparently never occurred to them.

[Rob Evans]