HOCKENHEIM, Germany, 1 August 2003 — World champion Michael Schumacher admitted yesterday he and his Ferrari team are not confident of taking victory in this weekend’s German Grand Prix.
German Schumacher is determined to prove his doubters wrong on home soil at Hockenheim Sunday after failing to shine in the British Grand Prix and seeing his championship lead over rival Kimi Raikkonen reduced to seven points. Schumacher finished fourth for Ferrari in the Silverstone race, losing a vital point to McLaren-Mercedes’ Raikkonen, and had to watch his teammate Rubens Barrichello lift the winners’ trophy.
The five-time champion is determined to win the German Grand Prix for his home fans this weekend but admitted: “Many people believe that Hockenheim will not be suitable for the Ferrari. “Last year I was very confident about my chances in the race, which is not all the common at Hockenheim, and it was one of the highlights of the season. I can’t wait to return to Germany, but this year the race definitely looks a much tougher prospect than last season and everyone at Ferrari is aware of that.
“It is not an impossible task and, recently, we have made significant progress, so we feel well prepared. But we can expect a very tough race.” Schumacher and Ferrari can expect Williams-BMW to fight hard for victory.
