Did Schumi spin on purpose?

One of the more outlandish rumours circulating in the Shanghai paddock suggests that world champion Michael Schumacher deliberately pitched his Ferrari into a 150mph qualifying spin so that he could demonstrate both his and the F2004's prowess by fighting back from the rear of the grid.

The German will start stone last on a grid re-jigged by various engine changes and qualifying 'no-shows' - having not set a time and then had the V10 in his Ferrari switched for a fresh unit - but surely even he would not have knowingly 'fixed' the result of the timed session. Even at Silverstone, the spins and go-slows were carried out in pre-qualifying, as, with rain on the horizon, teams sought to run as early as possible in qualifying proper.

Schumacher's engine change relegated him from 17th to 20th on the grid, as Ferrari was the last team to notify officials of their decision. Minardi has changed the V10 in the back of one of its cars, but opted to do so before the world champions, elevating Zsolt Baumgartner and Gianmaria Bruni up the order, along with BAR's Takuma Sato, who swapped motors after a Friday failure. Bruni will now start 17th, ahead of the Japanese driver, Baumgartner and Schumacher.

The world champion may also opt to start from the pit-lane, as tactical genius Ross Brawn weighs up his options.

"It will be one or the other," Brawn told reporters after qualifying in Shanghai, "We need to have a look at the strategies and just see what's best."