• Mercedes news

Brawn baffled by Schumacher's problems

ESPNF1 Staff
April 19, 2010 « 'Stop moaning about Hamilton' - Ecclestone | »
A dejected Michael Schumacher after the race © Sutton Images
Enlarge
Related Links

Ross Brawn struggled to explain Michael Schumacher's lack of pace after the Chinese Grand Prix.

While marginally outpaced by teammate Nico Rosberg in the first three races of his 2010 comeback, Schumacher was seven tenths slower in Chinese qualifying and then a minute behind at the chequered flag. Brawn said the dip in form had been unexpected after Schumacher had been improving this season up to that point.

"We have some issues that we need to understand as the deterioration of his tyres and therefore his pace is a problem that we need to resolve before the next race," Brawn said. "It's not the difficult corners, but the technically simple ones [where he is struggling]. Until now he has been getting closer and closer to Nico, so what happened in China is totally against the trend."

So slow was Schumacher that Mercedes' Norbert Haug suspects a chassis flaw, telling the German press on Sunday evening that a new W01 will be supplied to his driver in Barcelona.

"Give us a chance to look at that [theory] and we can come up with a good explanation," he said.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
ESPN Staff Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices