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Podium a catalyst for Schumacher - Haug

Michael Schumacher's third place in Valencia was only the third time he'd finished a race this season © Press Association

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Mercedes' head of motorsport Norbert Haug believes that Michael Schumacher's podium in Valencia could prove to be a catalyst for the rest of the season.

Schumacher's third place was his first podium finish since his return to the sport in 2010, and came after a dismal run of results that had seen him score just two points all season. The low points tally was a result of a number of reliability issues, with Schumacher retiring from four races due to mechanical failures.

Following Sunday's result, however, Haug believes Schumacher can go on to secure more podium finishes and told Autosport that there would have already been more this season if the team had delivered a reliable car.

"It is important and more podiums will come when we give him the car he needs in terms of speed and reliability," Haug said. "His lack of results this season are not down to the driver, and in fairness to him he could have definitely had in excess of 60 or 70 points if we would not have had technical issues - which would have been good for him and good for us in the constructors' championship. We did not get it because we got it wrong.

"But I think we have the right to push, and if you push you are more in the risk zone than if you are slower and reliable. So in the third year we are still learning. But considering we have quite a limited budget compared to the others, all in all the job we have done and the direction is good."

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