MANAMA, April 3 (Reuters) - Michael Schumacher and Ferrari's miserable start to the Formula One season continued on Sunday when the seven times champion retired from the Bahrain Grand Prix. Schumacher, winner of 13 of last season's 18 races, has now retired from two of the first three grands prix, with just two points to his credit.
Ferrari took a gamble on rushing their new F2005 car into service in Bahrain two races ahead of schedule after their modified old car proved powerless to match Renault's pacesetting Fernando Alonso in Malaysia.
Despite Schumacher qualifying on the front row and matching Alonso's pace for the first 12 laps, his brakes appeared to lock up as he approached a corner.
The German drove straight ahead into a run-off area, returned to the track and cruised back to the pits where he went straight into the garage with suspected hydraulic failure.
Alonso led the race for Renault, chasing their third successive victory.
It was not all good news for the French team however, with Italian Giancarlo Fisichella retiring on lap four after returning to the pits with an apparent engine problem.