Formula 1
All is not lost for Schumacher
Many people are saying that Michael Schumacher can wave goodbye to his hopes of claiming an eighth world title this year but, naturally, the man himself is not about to write off his chances. With a 34 point deficit to championship leader Fernando ...
Published: Jul 13, 2005, 7:28 AM
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Many people are saying that Michael Schumacher can wave goodbye to his hopes of claiming an eighth world title this year but, naturally, the man himself is not about to write off his chances. With a 34 point deficit to championship leader Fernando Alonso, Schumacher's task is an uphill struggle but he still hopes to turn things around.
Michael Schumacher.
Photo by xpb.cc.
However, at the moment Ferrari is suffering from a lack of grip and simply isn't fast enough to compete with the likes of Renault and McLaren. Schumacher finished sixth in the British Grand Prix and while it was valuable points it was something he obviously wasn't pleased about.
"That was disillusioning," he told his website, "but that's the situation we're in right now. We are unable to win races on our own strength, our lap-times get slower and slower over the course of a race. That's why we weren't really competitive during last race. We have to work on that, we will work on that. And then we're hoping to be able to turn the tide again, because all is not lost yet."
For the immediate future Schumacher is not thinking in terms of the title, he just wants to focus on each race and try to improve Ferrari's competitiveness. "The championship title is not the next step right now," he said. "Right now, it's all about improving our race-performance."
"In the last few races we've been developing in the wrong direction. We have to change that trend back to the other way. But of course the other teams are also continuing to work, and they are working on a very high level. That's why our situation is difficult at this time."
"But we've survived even more difficult moments in time in the last couple of years, and we'll survive this as well. None of us are new to this and we also accept the fact that our competitors are doing a better job than we are right now."
Schumacher, or any driver for that matter, will never give up on the title while there's still a chance but it's fair to say that the reigning champion's chances are looking rather slim. There's only eight races left this season and although a lot could happen yet, time is ticking away.
The next event is Hockenheim, Michael's home race, and he is not promising the fans that Ferrari will suddenly be improved, although he will have a new aerodynamic package that he hopes will bring Ferrari closer to the front runners.
"The Grand Prix of Germany is extra-motivating, because naturally we want to make a good impression there," he commented. "I'd like to be able to spread real optimism, but that's hard right now. But, how does the saying go: Hope dies last."
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