Bernie Ecclestone was furious on Friday when Michael Schumacher did not show up for F1’s end-of-season photograph.
Amid the backdrop of the colour-changing Yas Marina Hotel late on Friday, team bosses and all the drivers were summoned for a photograph with the international media.
But according to Blick newspaper, Schumacher - as well as Bruno Senna and Timo Glock - did not appear.
The report said Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn tried in vain to call Schumacher on his mobile phone. "Has he retired again?" angry F1 chief executive Ecclestone is quoted as saying.
According to another report in Brazil’s Globo, Senna apologised for not showing up, insisting that his team had not informed him in time after being summoned to the stewards to explain his practice incident with Lewis Hamilton.
Two explanations were given for Glock’s absence, according to Globo. The first was that he was having treatment for a sore foot, and the second that he was on the other side of the paddock and simply ran out of time to appear.