Schumacher admits winning unlikely

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SEPANG: April 1, 2010 (AFP) – Michael Schumacher arrived at the Sepang circuit yesterday to face much the same kind of inquisition he left behind when he flew out of Melbourne after last weekend’s race.

GREAT TO BE BACK: Schumacher arrives at the Sepang circuit. — Reuters photo

GREAT TO BE BACK: Schumacher arrives at the Sepang circuit. — Reuters photo

The big question, repeated frequently, revolved around his level of performance and potential to improve with his Mercedes team this weekend in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The seven-times world champion, who hopes to improve on finishes of sixth and 10th so far on his comeback trail, both of them behind teammate Nico Rosberg, remained calm and good-humoured.

“It is great for me to be back and I am very motivated and I am happy to be here,” he said.

“Maybe we don’t have the car to be at the front just now, but we are working for that, and it is always that way in Formula One.

“I know that people are talking about my results, but I think we are doing the best we can right now. And anyway, I like to satisfy everybody, but mostly myself, and I am not that upset at all.

“I am disappointed that my opinion is different to that of some of the media, at least, but everyone is free to have their own opinion. I am quite happy. I have done the best I could with the possibilities that we have had.”

Schumacher, 41, and Rosberg, 24, have pushed hard to gain the competitiveness that their team needs to put pressure on the Red Bull and Ferrari teams. The German admitted that more work needed to be done.

“We would like to say we are here in a position now to win this race, but certainly that’s not the case,” he said.

“We’re not the most competitive at the moment and there’s a lot of development and hard work to do.”

His teammate Rosberg, 17 years his junior, believes that the Mercedes team, which won the Malaysian race last season as Brawn GP, failed to do enough work in pre-season testing to make an early impression.

“I don’t think we did as much pre-season work as Ferrari, Red Bull or McLaren and that is why they are ahead of us now,” he said.

Asked about being a teammate to a legendary multi-title winner, he grinned and said: “I am learning a few tricks and it is a great experience.” — AFP