FEBRUARY 28, 2001

Schumacher may have to pay major compensation over helmet saga

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER will find out if he will be penalized for switching helmets on Thursday, when a court ruling is expected in Belgium.

The trial took place on Tuesday but failed to reach a conclusion, and Bell Helmets distributor Sports Europe is seeking compensation for the Ferrari star's move to German brand Schuberth Helme.

The German's contract with Bell Helmets runs until the end of the current season, but Schumacher's lawyers have attempted to fight the case by claiming the switch was for safety reasons.

But if their defense fails, the world champion will have to return to his original helmet or face a reported pay-out of five million Belgian Francs ($115,000) for every day the contract has to run.