Berlin - Michael Schumacher insisted on Wednesday that he did not regret returning to Formula One despite a disappointing 2010, finishing ninth for Mercedes behind fellow German Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ title race.
The seven-time former world champion acknowledged in an interview on his official Web site that the season had been “a big challenge” and that in terms of results “we clearly did not meet our expectations.”
The 41-year-old German continued: “But then, you have to fight for the things you want to achieve, which has always been my credo. Mercedes, the whole team, me — we are working together to build something great.
“I think I have proved over many years that I love challenges and that I am able to handle them. I have not regretted my decision to come back at all.”
Schumacher mustered 72 points, almost half the tally attained by his younger compatriot and teammate Nico Rosberg, and was the target of some scrutiny, which he said he was taking in good spirits.
“I can live with criticism very well, you just have to differentiate it and it can bring you forward as well,” he said.
“What is much more important is that I deeply enjoy building what we are building here at this team and that is always the best base for success because you do not need to question the motivation.
“And please don’t get me wrong here; you don’t question the seriousness either. I can’t wait already to get the new season started.”
Despite his age, the motor racing legend said he was itching for the 2011 season to start.
“Yes, I look forward to some quiet days with my family over Christmas but I also notice that I am going all tingly already thinking about next year,” he said. “We ended the season with a positive feeling and things were starting to come together with a tendency that was clearly positive.
“So, knowing our developments for the new year makes me confident that we can fight for some race victories from our own power. This is a prospect which makes me look forward to competing again.”
Despite his modest showing on his comeback he stated winning the F1 title was still Mercedes’ objective.
“Hey, we are Mercedes! But this is a three-year project, and even if obviously it would be nicer if it worked out sooner, we are talking about competing at the absolute peak of motorsport.
“You cannot just come along, put a new team together and beat everybody. But you can be sure that we are working very hard with all our combined power to achieve our aims.”
Formula 1
Agence France-Presse
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
The seven-time former world champion acknowledged in an interview on his official Web site that the season had been “a big challenge” and that in terms of results “we clearly did not meet our expectations.”
The 41-year-old German continued: “But then, you have to fight for the things you want to achieve, which has always been my credo. Mercedes, the whole team, me — we are working together to build something great.
“I think I have proved over many years that I love challenges and that I am able to handle them. I have not regretted my decision to come back at all.”
Schumacher mustered 72 points, almost half the tally attained by his younger compatriot and teammate Nico Rosberg, and was the target of some scrutiny, which he said he was taking in good spirits.
“I can live with criticism very well, you just have to differentiate it and it can bring you forward as well,” he said.
“What is much more important is that I deeply enjoy building what we are building here at this team and that is always the best base for success because you do not need to question the motivation.
“And please don’t get me wrong here; you don’t question the seriousness either. I can’t wait already to get the new season started.”
Despite his age, the motor racing legend said he was itching for the 2011 season to start.
“Yes, I look forward to some quiet days with my family over Christmas but I also notice that I am going all tingly already thinking about next year,” he said. “We ended the season with a positive feeling and things were starting to come together with a tendency that was clearly positive.
“So, knowing our developments for the new year makes me confident that we can fight for some race victories from our own power. This is a prospect which makes me look forward to competing again.”
Despite his modest showing on his comeback he stated winning the F1 title was still Mercedes’ objective.
“Hey, we are Mercedes! But this is a three-year project, and even if obviously it would be nicer if it worked out sooner, we are talking about competing at the absolute peak of motorsport.
“You cannot just come along, put a new team together and beat everybody. But you can be sure that we are working very hard with all our combined power to achieve our aims.”
Formula 1
Agence France-Presse
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com