Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher does not share the belief that Michelin-shod teams will have the upper hand in the sweltering conditions of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher does not share the belief that Michelin-shod teams will have the upper hand in the sweltering conditions of the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Scuderia and tyre partner Bridgestone know what to expect at Sepang and should be just as competitive as in Australia, the six-time F1 champ says.
After the Melbourne race, fellow Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello returned to Valencia in Spain to continue testing, and tyres were one of the target areas. Citing Ferrari’s remarkable reliability, and his faith in Bridgestone’s abilities, Schumacher thinks that Malaysia should be no problem at all.
“Ferrari, traditionally, have never had reliability problems,” said Schumacher. “And if some believe that the tyres could create some doubt, and it seems to me that there are a number of people out there who think this, I’d respond by saying that the Bridgestones are excellent. Rubens stated that he was very satisfied with them after the last series of tests.”
But the current world champion is looking forward to steering the Ferrari around the technically-challenging Sepang circuit.
“I consider this circuit to be a real challenge,” he commented. “It is not easy to drive in these conditions.
“The Malaysian track has its built-in difficulties: it is flat, maybe too flat, and above all it is very narrow. Malaysia is, undoubtedly, full of hazards but also has some enjoyable sections. I only hope that we can repeat our Melbourne performance!”
