I will race as normal this weekend says Schumacher

With the exception of the Scuderia of course, many people would like the title to be decided later rather than sooner, but Michael Schumacher disagreed with the idea that the sport would lose interest once the title is decided. “We have seen in the past that there have been some good races, after the championship is won,” he maintained. “And don’t forget, there are other positions to be decided, not just who is first.” With the tyre war as hot as ever, the championship leader was quizzed as to what role Bridgestone’s had played in his season so far. “I think we have a better car (than the other teams) but the rest of the difference is down to the tyres and it depends which tyre company has got the best tyre for each track. I hope we have the right one here. We had a very good test with Bridgestone last week and I think we have a good tyre for Magny-Cours.”

The German went on to explain that being Bridgestone’s only top team is a double edged sword. “As the only top team using their tyres, we have a big workload and it is possible that we can miss something, which would not be the case if there were two top teams,” he explained. “On the other hand, the tyres can be more specific to our needs. But the other teams on Bridgestone are also doing a good job and making the tyres work for them.”

Schumacher has not been on pole position since the Spanish GP in April, but the reigning world champion is not too concerned. “I admit that is not ideal,” he said. “But I don’t think it is a case of it being our weak point, rather it is the others who have raised their game, although they seem to suffer in the races.”

Along with several other F1 drivers, Schumacher will take part in a charity soccer match organised by RTL Television on Thursday before the German GP. “I always enjoy soccer, but especially games like this with professional players,” he said. “It is not a serious match, but they play at a high level and so my standard rises too.”