| Michael Schumacher
is unconcerned by the fact that the new Ferrari F2004
car looks very similar to last season's F2003-GA. |
| "I know that
people were expecting the new car to look different,
but what matters is the result on the stopwatch,"
said the six-time World Champion during the launch of
the team's new challenger. |
| "It does
look similar to last year's car, which if I remember
correctly was quite good and won both championships.
Now we must wait and see how the winter testing goes,
when we will have a better indication of its potential."
|
| The new Ferrari
was unveiled today in Maranello but there were no surprises,
the F2004 looking very similar to last year's championship-winning
car. The Italian squad, however, had to wait until the
final race of the season before they secured both titles.
|
| Schumacher, who
last season clinched his fourth consecutive title, also
said his motivation is still as high as ever |
| "The next
season is always your toughest. But I am as motivated
as ever, for the simple reason that I love to race,"
he said. |
| Michael
Schumacher says this year could be his toughest yet
as he aims for a record seventh Formula One title. |
| "I think
the next one is always the toughest," the Ferrari
driver said at the launch of his team's new F2004 challenger.
"It might be true that its going to be a little
bit more difficult than it has been last year, although
that's almost impossible. But we'll find out."
|
| The German was
taken down to the wire last year by McLaren's young
Finn Kimi Raikkonen, with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya's
title challenge snuffed out in the penultimate race
of the closest season in ages. |
| On his way to
becoming the first driver to win six titles, Schumacher
won six Grands Prix but struggled in qualifying and
suffered the indignity of being lapped in Hungary. |
| By August, Williams
were favourites for the Championship. But a tyre controversy
and a return to form at Monza set Ferrari up for a final
push, with Schumacher taking the title at Suzuka after
finishing eighth. |
| He said, however,
that rule changes and a new points system had exaggerated
the situation. |
| "I knew Kimi
was a very good racing driver, he had a good car and
was very consistent although you should ask whether
with so many second positions he should actually at
the end of the season be that close. |
| "Is that correct or not correct?
I have my own opinion, and I think no," he said.
"It's nothing to do with Kimi, that's a general
matter. Regarding Kimi, I think he will do a very good
job this year again |
| "We all know
that McLaren have a car with a lot of time already in
their hands, and they know it quite well now, as it's
last year's car. With Williams and Renault it's a completely
new car and we don't know their final situation. |
| "I expect
their cars to change for the first race to some degree
and maybe that will improve the situation in their favour."
|
| Schumacher said
he was confident his new car would be competitive and
reliable from the start and also defended tyre supplier
Bridgestone against those who suggested they would struggle
this year. |
| "There's
been a lot of discussion about tyres. If I'm correct,
last year I think we won both championships with those
tyres. So it can't be that bad," he said. "We
have been looking very strong at the last test in Barcelona,
so all in all I think we are ready for the game."
|
| The new F2004
looks very similar to last year's F2003-GA whereas brother
Ralf's new Williams has made news with a radical front
nose unlike anything seen so far in Formula One. Schumacher
agreed it was interesting. |
| "If you talk
to the designers, you hear that its a solution that
some have tried before so its not completely unknown
for them," he said. |
| "So it will
be interesting to see how long it goes that way and
whether other teams in the end find a solution and go
the same route or not. It's an innovation but at the
end of the day it has to be quick enough." |
| |
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