Michael Schumacher does not believe he will win Championship this year – Formula 1 update
The seven times Formula 1 champion, Michael Schumacher, has said that the 2011 season will not be his eighth winning season because the car lacks development. He has shown some concern over the reliability of the new MGP-W02 because it has faced numerous technical and mechanical problems immediately after it was launched.
Last year Schumacher made his comeback at the start of the Formula 1 season and had a miserable year. He was unable to secure a podium finish in any Grand Prix that year. The poor results had disappointed the Mercedes team. They had started their 2011 car development halfway through the 2010 season with hopes that 2011 would be theirs.
Schumacher has spoken bluntly about the Mercedes team and car’s chances for this year. He said, “We clearly know Red Bull are very strong and are the team you have to look at. I guess we're not quite in a position (to win), but then I wasn't expecting to be in this position right now.”
Along with McLaren, Mercedes have also given up hope for 2011 title, which may open a gate for some small and energetic teams like Toro Rosso and Renault. Some Formula 1 drivers are not discounting Mercedes from their rivals list and Fernando Alonso of Ferrari has commented that Mercedes will be a team to watch out for.
Schumacher said about his team’s 2011 chances that, “We have made a lot of progress with the car, so I'm quite happy. We are on the slope and on the progress curve like we want to be.”
The testing sessions for Mercedes have not been ones to remember. The team has faced lots of mechanical problems in these sessions. They only completed 14 laps during the Valencia test sessions because their car had an oil leak. During the Jerez test they topped the table when Schumacher was driving.
Mercedes are ahead of McLaren in the number of miles that their teams have run. This fact has further depressed Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, who have said that 2011 will not be a winning season for McLaren.
The testing continues in Barcelona and Schumacher will drive in his last test before heading to Australia for the start of the season. He will be handing over the car to Nico Rosberg for the final day.
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