Even Schu’s parade-lap road car didn’t work

Michael Schumacher’s US grand prix race-day got off to a bad start long before his Mercedes was fired up.

In fact, the wheels weren’t turning at all when his 23 colleagues began the pre-race drivers’ parade in the back seats of vintage American road cars.

SID news agency said the fact the car bearing the 43-year-old’s famous name broke down before the lap even began was "emblematic of his bad luck this season".

Ahead of his penultimate race in F1, seven time world champion Schumacher instead had to complete the lap sitting alongside Kimi Raikkonen.

"I can’t find any words other than ironic ones for the race today," the famous German said after finishing the race a woeful sixteenth.