The pitstop fire provided the main talking point at Austria after Schumacher had taken his third win in a row.
Renault boss Flavio Briatore said the world champion has it too easy on the race track and it is about time the other drivers put him under some pressure.
McLaren struggled, with Kimi Raikkonen eighth fastest and David Coulthard 11th in Friday's first practice for the San Marino Grand Prix.
The Indian ace finished ninth in the first qualifying, nine places ahead of Ferrari's Schumacher, who was the slowest of the 18 cars.
Michael Schumacher made an inauspicious start to the defence of his world championship at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.
New engine rules should see four drivers who will not race on Sunday providing most of the early action on track in Melbourne.
Race stewards ruled that Rubens Barrichello was released from his pitstop by Ferrari when it was not safe to do so.
Schumacher will test in Jerez on Dec. 15 and 16. Ferrari's new car is not due to be formally unveiled until the second half of January.
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher will write another extraordinary chapter in the Formula One record books if he wins his eighth title this year.
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher crashed with Minardi's Christijan Albers before the start of the Chinese Grand Prix
Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher gave his seal of approval to Ferrari's new F2004 challenger on Friday after giving it an impressive track debut.
The seven times world champion lost control on the slippery surface, spun and clattered into the tyre barrier at the S-curve.
The 35-year-old German takes on world rally champion Sebastien Loeb and the best that America can offer in a charity race in Paris on Saturday.
BAR's Takuma Sato says he has made his peace with the Ferrari ace following the crash that put both out of the Spa race.
The German won the opening sprint over 600 metres but lost in the second race over 1,200 metres and the 900-metre decider against a Eurofighter jet.
It was the first time since 1994, when Schumacher took his first title at Benetton, that the award had not gone to the same year's Formula One champion.
The F1 world champion said he could not imagine driving for any other team than Ferrari and he would welcome the Finn as a team mate.
Ferrari's record-breaking season may go down in the Formula One history books as the peak of Michael Schumacher's career.
Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher retired from Sunday's inaugural Turkish Grand Prix after an early collision with Mark Webber's Williams.
The Briton expressed his disappointment that the Brazilian had decided to leave Ferrari for BAR at the end of the season.
Team mate Kimi Raikkonen was the second fastest race driver with a time of one minute 28.453 seconds.
Brazilian great Pele will join FIFA president Sepp Blatter among the 3,500 spectators at the December 5 event.
Schumacher says his years of experience should stand him in good stead for Sunday's first Turkish Grand Prix.
The German goalkeeper is famous for his loud complaints and intimidation of opposing strikers.
British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton has caused an online stir after posting photos of him skiing with his brother just days after Michael Schumacher's shocking accident in the Alps.
The German, who clinched his seventh Formula One title in Belgium last month, survived a collision, a spin and a puncture in the Chinese Grand Prix.
