Michael Schumacher says that he is hopeful that the new Bahrain upgrade package for his Mercedes GP car will be enough to allow him to fight at the front, as he prepares for his first Formula One race weekend since the end of the 2006 season.
The Mercedes team have downplayed expectations for the first few races, after admitting that they were some way behind their title rivals at Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren during pre-season testing.
But the team will debut a raft of aerodynamic changes and tweaks on their W01 machine at the Sakhir track, including their definitive 2010 double diffuser design, and though Schumacher remains skeptical of beign able to challenge for race wins from the start of the season, he told reporters at the track that he hoped the package would help them.
"We hope it's big enough," the seven-time world champion said when asked if the new package would be a big enough boost to get them to the front of the grid, "We'll find out."
He added that he didn't feel that forming a title challenge would be more difficult this season, even with the number of teams with potentially race-winning pace.
"It doesn't really make a difference because in the end it is just you against one other driver that you have in front of you that you have to focus [on]," Schumacher mused, "More teams and drivers? It changes the picture, yes. Does it make it more difficult? No. I don't think it makes a real difference."
He added that: "When I arrived to Formula One my biggest expectation was far off from what I did because I didn't think I would be able to play in the same playing field. When I arrived I understood that they all come from the same water we all do.
"They're all humans with special abilities, that I have," he said, making them sound like the sodding X Men, "So I will work very hard on [the details], and so will the other guys, which is why I respect [them], and expect a tough fight."
The frontrunners in 2010 will contain drivers that he has never raced against before, like Lewis Hamilton at McLaren and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, but although Schumacher singled out Vettel as a friend after the pair raced together in the Race of Champions, he insisted that he was not really looking forward to racing against any one driver in particular.
"It's more the driving, the challenge, whoever it is there is no particular one," Schumacher explained, "I have some that I hold closer, like Sebastian... we have a good relationship."
Schumacher will be partnered by fellow German Nico Rosberg in 2010, and the younger driver still believes that he can compete with his illustrious team mate in the coming season.
"My aim is to look good compared to my teammate," Rosberg insisted, something that at least one PatroniseF1 writer thinks he has already managed.
"For sure I have a lot to gain this year because it is the first time I have a real competitive car. I look forward to it."
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
