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Schumacher talks up chances
Source: Agencies |
March 25, 2011, Friday
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AT age 42, and after an inglorious return to Formula One last season, few would have guessed that Michael Schumacher and Mercedes would be touted as a potential championship team for 2011.
Schumacher, who came out of retirement after three years to join Mercedes last season, ended ninth in the 2010 standings, without a single podium finish.
But ahead of Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and after an impressive winter of testing, Schumacher may soon get a taste of the glory that drew him back to the sport.
Schumacher struggled to adapt to the durable Bridgestone tires on his return to racing and said yesterday he had high hopes of performing better with the more degradable Pirelli rubber introduced this year.
"What's most important is what I want to prove to myself," he said.
"Whether it was only the tire. Whether it was me after three years out, not knowing all the switches and positions, and what I had to do to make the whole package work together, I don't know. I just know that now I do feel it and I'm back on it."
Red Bull's Mark Webber was quick to identify Mercedes as a race-winning team this season.
"Mercedes have had a good finish to the winter testing and they're going to be winning some races for sure this year," Webber said. "They've shown good reliability, so there's no reason they shouldn't challenge for the title along with Ferrari and McLaren."
"The car's improved, to our predictions," Schumacher said.
"We knew we weren't on the pace for the first tests, but we were focusing on a particular package ... it was only in the last tests that we were able to see that everything works out."
Schumacher is looking forward to seeing exactly what the new car and new tires can do in Sunday's race.
"We get on with it this weekend and see what is the reality," he said. "Testing is one thing and racing is another thing."
Schumacher, who came out of retirement after three years to join Mercedes last season, ended ninth in the 2010 standings, without a single podium finish.
But ahead of Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and after an impressive winter of testing, Schumacher may soon get a taste of the glory that drew him back to the sport.
Schumacher struggled to adapt to the durable Bridgestone tires on his return to racing and said yesterday he had high hopes of performing better with the more degradable Pirelli rubber introduced this year.
"What's most important is what I want to prove to myself," he said.
"Whether it was only the tire. Whether it was me after three years out, not knowing all the switches and positions, and what I had to do to make the whole package work together, I don't know. I just know that now I do feel it and I'm back on it."
Red Bull's Mark Webber was quick to identify Mercedes as a race-winning team this season.
"Mercedes have had a good finish to the winter testing and they're going to be winning some races for sure this year," Webber said. "They've shown good reliability, so there's no reason they shouldn't challenge for the title along with Ferrari and McLaren."
"The car's improved, to our predictions," Schumacher said.
"We knew we weren't on the pace for the first tests, but we were focusing on a particular package ... it was only in the last tests that we were able to see that everything works out."
Schumacher is looking forward to seeing exactly what the new car and new tires can do in Sunday's race.
"We get on with it this weekend and see what is the reality," he said. "Testing is one thing and racing is another thing."
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