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Schumacher sure W01 will be strong

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, February 16th 2010, 10:06 GMT


Michael Schumacher says he is fully convinced Mercedes GP's W01 car will allow his team to fight for the championship in the 2010 season.

The seven-time champion, returning to the sport with the German squad after his retirement at the end of the 2006 season, admitted however that it was not easy to tell what the current pecking order is, despite two testing sessions having already taken place.

"I am fully convinced that we have a car that is able to fight for the championship," Schumacher told the official Formula 1 website.

"Where we are exactly is hard to say. This is especially true for me as I don't have the data from last year's car."

The 41-year-old insisted he feels fully prepared and motivated to tackle the challenge of returning to Formula 1 over three years after his retirement.

"To drive a car like this again, it was just that great old feeling I know so well," he added. "Nothing comes close. I love that sensation, I always did. It was just that my batteries were empty at the end of 2006 that I retired.

"I would not have wanted to go on. Now my batteries are fully loaded again!"

And Schumacher says he is not expecting any problems with team-mate Nico Rosberg, and admits it has been positive to be able to speak in German with him.

"Unfortunately I cannot look into the future. But I do not expect anything else but for it to be fine. At the moment it is very constructive and I don't expect that to change.

"For once it is quite a good feeling to be able to communicate in my mother tongue, and at the moment we are 'neighbours' as our motor homes are right beside each other here in the paddock."

"I just love that fight"

Fry relaxed about Schumacher's form

Mercedes GP CEO Nick Fry says the team sees no reason to suggest that Michael Schumacher is having trouble adapting to the current generation of Formula 1 cars and tyres, and reckons it is just a matter of Mercedes improving its pace to allow the drivers to start winning.

Schumacher made a low-key return to F1 last weekend with seventh place on the grid and sixth at the finish. He was slightly slower than team-mate Nico Rosberg throughout the weekend.

Fry denied suggestions that Schumacher was finding the 2010 front tyres ill-suited to his driving style.

"Listening to the discussions that are going on within the team, I don't actually detect any great difference in feedback between him and Nico," said Fry.

"I think they both know what they want to do to improve the car, and I think they are consistent in their views. There is nothing I have heard that is particular to Michael. But the encouraging thing is that they have got a to do list."

But Fry did reserve special praise for how well Rosberg had coped with the challenge of partnering Schumacher.

"I have been incredibly impressed with Nico's approach right from the moment that he knew Michael was joining the team," he said.

"It doesn't seem ever to have particularly fazed him. He has taken it in his stride and although sometimes the focus is on Michael, it doesn't seem to perturb him whatsoever. He has got on and done his job. He has proven again how quick he is, and I think he will continue to improve."

Fry is confident that the combination of Rosberg, Schumacher and team boss Ross Brawn will ensure that Mercedes swiftly closes the slight gap to the leaders.

"Ross sees that there were a lot of areas where we could work with Nico to not only improve the car, but also improve his personal performance," said Fry.

"I am very encouraged. I think it is a good team, the drivers seem to work together well and I think we are going away from [Bahrain] knowing we have work to do but far from downhearted. We have plenty of upside potential and that is what counts.

"It is going to be a long old year, and I absolutely believe that we have the people, and the equipment under Ross's guidance to come out of this very well at the end of the year."