[F1] Nieuwtjes topic #73 As-vast in China

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INTERVIEW

Michael Schumacher

MAY 6, 2010

Michael Schumacher, Australian GP 2010 © The Cahier Archive
Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher's return to Formula One has not been as smooth as many have expected - how does the German driver see things leading into the fifth race of the season, and the first back on European soil?

Q: You've won six times in Barcelona, you have a car that will hopefully suit your style better, so what are you expecting?

A: We have a new update that we feel quite good about and we should improve but the other teams won't stay where they are and it will be interesting to see where the journey goes. In winter testing we weren't too bad at Barcelona, except for the last day where McLaren showed very strong performance, so it's a little bit of an unknown.

Q: In your 'first' career, you could seemingly drive anything and understeer didn't seem to bother you, so why are you struggling with this car now?

A: If you look at it, in China my performance wasn't good and it stands out, whereas at other circuits I think it was on the right track. I'm very optimistic that things will go in the right direction and am quite relaxed about what's going on. Yes, I know that the car is not suiting me perfectly but I hadn't expected to come here and blast everyone away. It's a process and it's like a stock market. They have a trend upwards and every so often they have a reset. China was my reset! We'll see where it goes from there.

Q: Where do you expect the new car to perform better than before?

A: It's not a new car, I'm afraid! There are a couple of new bits and pieces on it that will make it quicker, yes, but I guess we have to see. The wheelbase is a bit longer and we have aero updates, which are the main factors.

Q: You only signed just before Christmas. When you did that, did you think about the narrower front tyres and the way the cars were, or did you have an open mind?

A: I was certainly open-minded. Cars are what they are and you have to find a way to drive around them. That's the way it was in the past and the way it still is. I didn't expect to come into a complete new structure and restart where I had finished at Ferrari. It's a process and I'm absolutely confident of that process going in the right direction.

Q: It is surprising people have been critical and haven't given you a bit more time?

A: I guess the only perception I can have is my experience from the past. Even when I was successful I had various moments when things weren't going too well and was criticised similarly. It's a natural situation and it's the type of world we are living in. You have to stay calm and focused on what you know yourself. I obviously know a bit more than I explain or want to explain to the outside. If you think, in winter when I announced my comeback everyone was enthusiastic. I maybe haven't been performing to some expectations, but within my expectations, and it's kind of normal I get criticised. The next time I'm on the podium those same people will probably be very enthusiastic again. It's our life and it's emotion and we live for those emotions.

Q: Does the criticism make you regret coming back?

A: No. Not if you know what is behind it and believe in yourself. And the reason I came back was not to have a nice story in the media but because I enjoy driving. That's what I'm here for and I feel on the right path. Things will improve and it's just the pure joy I'm looking for. Obviously that's higher if you are winning races and, don't worry, I was very disappointed in China. I was angry at myself. But things will be different.

Q: You made the stock market analogy. How risky a stock do you think you were when Mercedes took you on?

A: That's a good one! I must find out...

Q: There's been lots of toing and froing of performance this year. What's your assessment of where it's at and where it's going?

A: We have had quite a different winter time, not with the preparation we were looking for, but if you look at it all, Nico has done a fantastic job and is second in the championship only 10 points behind. That gives a lot of strength to the team because we know what to expect and what can happen and we have performed probably better than we should have done with even more potential to go forward.

Q: Last time you were in F1, there was bespoke tyres and unlimited testing which allowed you to access the level you were capable of. Is it more restrictive now?

A: That is a perception you might get but quite honestly I was doing the same amount of testing that my team mates were doing. In proportion I was up against my team mate so I don't think it's to do with the mileage. I know where we can and will improve and with time it will become obvious.

Q: You are often as quick as Nico in free practice but not in qualifying. Why is that?

A: First of all he is a very quick driver and secondly, as I said, there was a trend and if you exclude China this was going in the right direction. We've only done four races, so let's see.

Q: Racing against the Hamiltons, Rosbergs and Vettels, do you think this is as good a field of talent as you've seen?

A: It's certainly a very high level but I don't think it's higher. There was Fernando and Mika Hakkinen before on that level but what you do have is more cars on a more level playing field and the good drivers that are around are in those cars, so there's a higher level of competition.

Q: You feel good about your car, it should suit you better, can there be any excuses this weekend if you don't have a good race. Is this the weekend you start to beat your team mate?

A: I'm sure there's always excuses you can find if you want to! Some people may want to see it like that but it's not the way I'm thinking. It's the first time we've worked with this car and only afterwards will we understand the positives and negatives. I just feel positive I will feel the trend of what happened up to Malaysia and not what happened in China.

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Op donderdag 6 mei 2010 20:49 schreef ElmarO het volgende:
En dit is nieuwe ontwerp geworden:

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Kan aan mij liggen, maar nu doet het mij nog meer aan Marlboro denken.

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Op donderdag 6 mei 2010 22:06 schreef bodylotion het volgende:

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Ze doen het er gewoon om

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Op donderdag 6 mei 2010 22:03 schreef Stiggie het volgende:

[..]

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Op donderdag 6 mei 2010 21:39 schreef bodylotion het volgende:
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Mercedes heeft een radicaal ander design

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Op donderdag 6 mei 2010 22:33 schreef kepler het volgende:

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Dat is echt heel anders, ik ben benieuwd of het ook echt werkt

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Op vrijdag 7 mei 2010 01:29 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:
Door dat ontwerp kan de coureur volgens mij door z'n hoofd te kantelen ook de lucht over de achterspoiler regelen O_O

Dat richeltje achterop de helm van een coureur is er normaal om lucht de inlaat in te sturen en de helm naar beneden te drukken. Als de Mercedes coureurs nu op het rechte stuk het hoofd iets naar voren kantelen is de luchtstroom over de achterspoiler anders.

Als dit zo is is het een antwoord op McLaren's F-duct.

Ik vraag me af wanneer ze met een nieuw soort helm-attachment komen.

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It transpires the tip off we were given regardign the updates to the W01′s airbox was accurate, as Mercedes arrived in Barcelona with a radical new roll structure cum airbox. Even in its launch guise the W01 exhibited a unique pillar shaped roll structure with the non structural airbox wrapped around it. Now the team have further decoupled the airbox function from crash protection, by making the protection purely blade-like shape, with the airbox now formed totally by the engine cover and the inlet snorkels not touching the blade at all. This is a dramatic looking solution and probably worth some improved performance from the rear wing due to the decreased disturbance of the airflow. But in overall terms the change is only likely to be worth a small gain and not as important as the expected layout change or f-duct rear wing.

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Op vrijdag 7 mei 2010 01:29 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:
Door dat ontwerp kan de coureur volgens mij door z'n hoofd te kantelen ook de lucht over de achterspoiler regelen O_O

Dat richeltje achterop de helm van een coureur is er normaal om lucht de inlaat in te sturen en de helm naar beneden te drukken. Als de Mercedes coureurs nu op het rechte stuk het hoofd iets naar voren kantelen is de luchtstroom over de achterspoiler anders.

Als dit zo is is het een antwoord op McLaren's F-duct.

Ik vraag me af wanneer ze met een nieuw soort helm-attachment komen.

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Op vrijdag 7 mei 2010 11:51 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

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Da's geen inlet maar gelijk aan het bedieningsgat (voor de knie) van McLaren ... Ferrari gaat het met de helm besturen dus.

Ziet er neppig uit trouwens

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Ferrari F-duct inlet into the cockpit in the same position as Williams.

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Op vrijdag 7 mei 2010 11:51 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

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Da's geen inlet maar gelijk aan het bedieningsgat (voor de knie) van McLaren ... Ferrari gaat het met de helm besturen dus.

Ziet er neppig uit trouwens

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Op vrijdag 7 mei 2010 12:40 schreef Googolplexian het volgende:

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De inlet zit op de neus ... het gat in de cockpit zou inderdaad zijn om de luchtstroom te veranderen ... net als de McLarenrijders met de knie doen.

Ik hoop niet voor Ferrari dat het een inlet is trouwens ... dan zit de coureur regelmatig vast met z'n hoofd als dat gaatje echt lucht zou aanzuigen.

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Op vrijdag 7 mei 2010 09:24 schreef Tarado het volgende:
nog een foto
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http://twitter.com/ScarbsF1

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Op vrijdag 7 mei 2010 20:51 schreef Kleffe_Dop het volgende:

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Foto op de baan:
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Ik vind het echt geen gezicht.
Wel leuk gevonden.