• Bahrain Grand Prix

Overtaking 'basically impossible' - Schumacher

Michael Schumacher thinks overtaking is near impossible © Getty Images

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• Race:
• Bahrain Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Michael Schumacher

• Teams:
• Mercedes

After a routine race to sixth, Michael Schumacher said overtaking is "basically impossible" under this year's regulations.

He made up one place from his grid spot by passing Mark Webber in the pit stops and then easily held off Jenson Button and Webber later in the race. This year's ban on refuelling was put in place to bring overtaking back to the track and to stop drivers waiting for pit stops to get ahead. But Schumacher said passing was only possible if the other driver made a significant error

"Overtaking is basically impossible, other than if somebody makes a mistake - Lewis had a little one [mistake] so Nico was able to pass him, but got back past at the pitstop - that's about it," Schumacher told the BBC. "Unfortunately that's [all] the action we are going to have with this kind of environment of race strategy. But, anyway, it was good fun. Especially the beginning and now we are going to work forward in order to catch up what is in front of us."

He admitted that his race was hampered by tyre wear but was confident he would get on top of the problem as the season progressed.

"There is the new rules with the tyres that everybody has to cope with," Schumacher added. "I struggled a little bit with those, I have to say, but after three years of not being there I guess it is natural that you have to find your way in to new bits and pieces and the team and myself are going to work on that."

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