World champion Michael Schumacher
has recovered from flu and is itching to chalk up a record 12th
victory of the season at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
The dominant Ferrari driver was hampered by illness
at his home race in Germany but the six-times world champion says
he is refreshed after the three-week break in the race calendar.
"I don't see why in Hungary we shouldn't fight
for first place," said Schumacher.
"In my opinion, Renault, BAR-Honda and McLaren
will do well but our car is good and I will be going all out for
victory.
"You should not interpret the word 'pause'
that is associated with this period of the season as meaning that
nothing gets done.
"It's important to train hard for (this race)
and I have trained a lot. I started a week later as I had to recover
from the flu that had bugged me at Hockenheim."
Schumacher has been rafting and rock climbing during
the break from racing, but he said the break will not deflect him
from his romp towards a seventh title.
"I am pleased that it is finally time to get
behind the wheel again," he added. "I am a sporty type
but right now I want to do nothing other than race.
"I can't wait for Friday (practice) when I
can drive out of the pit-lane at last."
Ferrari can clinch a sixth consecutive world championship
in Hungary if he and team mate Rubens Barrichello can score nine
points more than their opposite numbers at Renault.
But that could be a difficult challenge as the French
team are strong on the twisty Hungaroring track and their Spanish
driver Fernando Alonso won there last year.
The break, which also includes a ban on testing,
has given Schumacher's rivals little chance to produce further developments
to their cars although Williams will be introducing a revised aerodynamics
package.
Schumacher said he is not worried what other teams
do. "Naturally, I cannot know if they have done anything during
the break but I think that there will not be any drastic changes.
"We cannot rule out the possibility that some
teams may have made extreme modifications. I think the competition
in general is always alive and our competitors will make things
very difficult for us." |