• Bahrain Grand Prix

Schumacher expects to lead from the front

ESPNF1 Staff
March 5, 2010 « FIA to rule on McLaren wing | »
Michael Schumacher is aiming for the top spot in Bahrain © Sutton Images
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Michael Schumacher is aiming to lead the field from the very first race in Bahrain, but his boss at Mercedes Ross Brawn has warned that the car might not meet his expectations straight away.

After four weeks of pre-season testing, the Mercedes W01 appeared to be just off the pace of its main rivals Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren. However, Schumacher is confident an update, including a new diffuser that is being hotly anticipated in the paddock, will bridge the gap and allow him to race for wins.

"It is always difficult to predict the form in pre-season testing, this year more than ever, but the final test in Barcelona proved to us that we should be competitive," said Schumacher. "We know that we will have more new parts in Bahrain which should bring extra performance to the car. It's important to be in the leading group from the start of the season and I am confident that we will be there."

However, Brawn is not as convinced and said that the 2009 championship-winning team would not necessarily be at the front.

"We had a strong pre-season testing programme with the W01 but we have not quite reached the level of preparation that we would have liked prior to Bahrain," he said. "The car shows promise, and we have a strong development programme planned for the season, but there is a lot of hard work ahead to ensure that we will be in the fight for the title."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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