‘What is it about Schumacher and [filtered word]?’ asked a Swiss media colleague rhetorically on Sunday evening in Monaco after it was announced that Mercedes Grand Prix were appealing a stewards’ decision to dock the returning seven-time champion 20 seconds after he (alone) overtook (Fernando Alonso for sixth) in breach of Sporting Regulation # 40.13. *

‘Six races into his comeback, and already there are dodgy moves, penalties, appeals and rumours of team orders...’ he continued.

Sure, it could be argued the Swiss and Germans have little in common except a border and vastly differing pronunciations of the same basic language, but the hack had a point: post-race discussions in the media centre above the picturesque harbour revolved not around Mark Webber’s superb victory or the Red Bull’s untouchable pace, but one M Schumacher and his serial offending.

Yes, again the German hogs the headlines – even before getting near a first podium since returning to the F1 he turned his back in 2006...

The steward’s enquiry dragged into evening, and another scribe, this time British and from a well-respected journal, quipped: ‘It’s taking so long because Michael asked his 37 previous offences be taken into account...’

Cruel, maybe; harsh, undoubtedly – but these comments serve to illustrate precisely how the driver is perceived by a cross-section of the media, in itself nothing other than a microcosm of the real world.

The last three races - China, Spain, Monaco - have been utter PR disasters for Mercedes, and, by extension, the brand: in China Schumacher was all at sea, leading motorsport ‘bible’ Autosport to ask ‘Has Schumi lost it?’; last week the team faced allegations it sacrificed team-mate Nico Rosberg second place in the championship to give Schumacher a car better suited to his unconventional style; on Saturday in Monaco Nico Rosberg apologised to MS after impeding his ‘hot’ lap when the team made, in its own words, a ‘cock-up’ in releasing Nico late, feeding him into the path of Michael, who qualified seventh to Rosberg’s sixth.

Then, come Sunday, as the lights flicked off, Schumacher immediately snucked ahead of Rosberg, where he stayed to the final turn, when he ‘did’ Alonso in the run to the line. Again the media was unforgiving: ‘Nico’s punishment is to let Schumi through’ said one journo – speaking high German.

Running nose-to-tail in the final Safety Car train were three former champions – in order, Lewis Hamilton, Alonso and Schumacher – with the trio led by seasoned racers, to wit, Webber, Seb Vettel, Robert Kubica and Felipe Massa.

Yet, each of them toed the line, even if Alonso admitted twice enquiring whether he could ‘do’ Hamilton if push came to shove. Each time the answer was a firm ‘no’; thus the Spaniard did not even bother to cover his rear after the SC peeled in 300 metres short of the start/finish line on the last lap. Then Schumacher pounced.

What could have possessed the winningest driver on the grid to make what seems such a fundamental error,  particularly after the matter was, according to various sources, discussed in the drivers’ briefing ahead of the weekend? This, after the regulation was amended to permit racing to commence immediately after the SC has turned into the pitlane, save for, expressly, the last lap.

In mitigation, Race Control did flash a ‘Safety Car in this lap’ message while the instruction to wave ‘greens’ was issued to marshals, but none of that could (nor should it) override 40.13, which is absolutely clear in its spirit, wording and intent.

However, Schumacher commenced his manoeuvre in the very corner in which the crash which caused the SC to be deployed occurred! Post race, the overall consensus in the paddock was that the Safety Car would not have been called in on that lap had the race still had distance to run, on account of debris still on the track at that point.

Mercedes has appealed not the penalty – which cannot be appealed on account of being a drive-thru, in turn  commuted to time penalty on account of remaining race distance – but has instead appealed the stewards’ decision.

Here it gets messy: chief advisor to the stewards was Damon Hill, whose 1994 title challenge was scuppered by Schumacher in the last round, while recently-elected FIA president Jean Todt - late of Ferrari, where he ran the team with an iron fist - was the man who hand-picked current Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn as technical director of the Scuderia. Ferrari, of course, stands to gain/lose by whatever decision the FIA’s International Court of Appeal hands down.

The hearing – should it go the full distance, for teams are notorious for lodging appeals, then withdrawing them after further consideration - will be the first full test of the impartiality of a ‘new-look’ FIA under Todt.

* 40.13 If the race ends whilst the safety car is deployed it will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking.