Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn has admitted that had another driver performed like Michael Schumacher has done so far in 2010 he would have replaced them, but says that he is keeping faith because they know he has the "capacity to advance".
Schumacher has disappointed since returning to the grid at the start of the 2010 season, failing to even score a podium finish in the fifteen races to date.
At last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, he finished down in 13th place after colliding with Nick Heidfeld's Sauber in a clumsy move, while in the same race his team mate Nico Rosberg finished in fifth place.
Rumours have continued to swirl around the F1 paddock that the seven-time champion is considering calling off his comeback at the end of the season, despite signing a three-year deal with Mercedes at the start of 2010, but he has constantly asserted that he will see out his deal.
But Brawn admitted on Wednesday that the performances from Schumacher up to this point would probably have led to him being replaced were he any other driver.
He insisted, though, that Schumacher would come good in the future, saying that the team remained happy with his contribution to the team so far this season.
When asked in an interview with the official F1 website whether Schumacher would still be driving for the team had he been another driver, he admitted: "To be honest, probably not.
"But because we know Michael, we know that there is still a lot to come because Michael is in many fields more talented than others - in driving and in the cooperation with the team. The team are very happy with the way Michael is contributing."
He added: "If he were a rookie we surely would have asked ourselves if he has the capacity to advance. With Michael we know that he has."
He insisted that the only issue with Schumacher in 2010 had been with his inability to adapt to the new 2010-era slick tyres in the sport, saying that he was still the "old Michael" in his driving ability.
"If you take the telemetry data in fast corners or his reaction time when the car breaks away, I don't see any difference [to before his retirement]. There he's still the old Michael," he rambled.
"But in the slow corners he cannot make full use of the tyres as Nico can. Nico has put the bar very high in this respect."
He added: "But I guess that's okay for Michael as he clearly sees where he has to improve. I predict that in 2011 we will again see the true Michael - when we've delivered him a better car."
He added that he now saw a more "relaxed" Schumacher in the car, saying that back in his Ferrari days, the German may have struggled to deal with the situation he now found himself in.
"He has become more relaxed," Brawn smiled wistfully, "Five years ago he would have found it terribly difficult to handle such a situation.
"He's much cooler and much more mature - and that doesn't mean that he is less ambitious or committed. I am really impressed with how calm he stays."
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