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Bahrain GP to fire up renewed interest in F1
Source: Agencies |
March 11, 2010, Thursday
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MONTHS of anticipation and speculation finally come to a close as the 2010 Formula One season gets under way at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend and Michael Schumacher returns to racing.
Schumacher leads perhaps F1's most competitive starting grid after the seven-time F1 champion came out of three years retirement to race for the newly formed Mercedes GP, which bought out last year's constructors' champion Brawn GP.
The 41-year-old Schumacher said he felt like "a child at Christmas" coming to Bahrain, where he'll line up against defending champion Jenson Button, two-time champion Fernando Alonso, 2008 winner Lewis Hamilton and talented Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel.
"I love this fight - it is because of this fight that I came back to Formula One," Schumacher said.
Two-time Bahrain champion Alonso and Ferrari are the preseason favorites as the Spanish driver looks positively refreshed following his move to the Italian team, which also welcomes Felipe Massa back for the first time since he suffered a life-threatening crash at July's Hungarian GP.
"It's a very important moment for us after a horrible year. It was also a difficult moment for me with the accident. I'm concentrated, I'm ready 100 percent," said Massa, a two-time winner in Bahrain.
Massa said McLaren's design was "strange," but with the past two champions in its lineup the British team is among the favorites. Button partners Hamilton and the former Brawn driver is savoring the No. 1 tag on his car.
"It's a responsibility and an honor - but it's something I'm going to enjoy for as long as I can. I don't want to lose that number from my car," Button said. "There are a number of teams and drivers who appear to be in the hunt, and, as with the start of every new season, it will be fascinating to see who emerges as the team to beat."
Schumacher took over Button's seat as Mercedes' Silver Arrows returns to the track for the first time in 55 years with two German drivers at the helm. Nico Rosberg also makes his Mercedes debut.
Schumacher's experience could pay dividends as refueling is now banned, meaning teams will only pit to change tires. Also, the top-10 qualifiers will not be able to swap tires before the start, while the rest of the field can.
Schumacher leads perhaps F1's most competitive starting grid after the seven-time F1 champion came out of three years retirement to race for the newly formed Mercedes GP, which bought out last year's constructors' champion Brawn GP.
The 41-year-old Schumacher said he felt like "a child at Christmas" coming to Bahrain, where he'll line up against defending champion Jenson Button, two-time champion Fernando Alonso, 2008 winner Lewis Hamilton and talented Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel.
"I love this fight - it is because of this fight that I came back to Formula One," Schumacher said.
Two-time Bahrain champion Alonso and Ferrari are the preseason favorites as the Spanish driver looks positively refreshed following his move to the Italian team, which also welcomes Felipe Massa back for the first time since he suffered a life-threatening crash at July's Hungarian GP.
"It's a very important moment for us after a horrible year. It was also a difficult moment for me with the accident. I'm concentrated, I'm ready 100 percent," said Massa, a two-time winner in Bahrain.
Massa said McLaren's design was "strange," but with the past two champions in its lineup the British team is among the favorites. Button partners Hamilton and the former Brawn driver is savoring the No. 1 tag on his car.
"It's a responsibility and an honor - but it's something I'm going to enjoy for as long as I can. I don't want to lose that number from my car," Button said. "There are a number of teams and drivers who appear to be in the hunt, and, as with the start of every new season, it will be fascinating to see who emerges as the team to beat."
Schumacher took over Button's seat as Mercedes' Silver Arrows returns to the track for the first time in 55 years with two German drivers at the helm. Nico Rosberg also makes his Mercedes debut.
Schumacher's experience could pay dividends as refueling is now banned, meaning teams will only pit to change tires. Also, the top-10 qualifiers will not be able to swap tires before the start, while the rest of the field can.
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