Schumacher targets title in 2011

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Michael Schumacher says he intends to keep racing next year and intends to compete for a record-extending eighth championship title.

Speaking in the German Grand Prix press conference he said:

It’s what I mentioned the day that I officially publicised that I was rejoining Formula One and it is to win another title, that’s our aim, that’s what my focus is and that’s what I’m here for. Very clearly.
Michael Schumacher

He is not expecting to add a fifth home Grand Prix win this weekend – he believes a podium finish is the best he can expect to achieve:

It probably evolves into the same answer that I sort of mentioned before, because it is very clear that we are not in the position to come here and win the race, because as a package, we are not yet strong enough to do so. But, for us, we fight for our possibilities of results and if we could manage a podium, that would be a great and a fantastic result for us, for the fans, for our supporters, and that’s what we’re aiming for.
Michael Schumacher

Sitting between the two Red Bull drivers, Schumacher backed fellow German Sebastian Vettel to win the championship this year:

First of all, it’s obviously clear that both of the guys to the left and right of me have a very good package and a very good possibility to fight and win the championship, but you probably don’t have to forget the McLaren drivers, that they’re still in the picture. I don’t think it’s finished yet, but naturally you sort of get the feelings of your national heart coming up and therefore you sort of have a German tendency. I’m sorry Mark but I guess that’s normal.
Michael Schumacher

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    47 comments on “Schumacher targets title in 2011”

    1. Good luck to the man and I hope Mercedes do much better next year, if not for the remainder of this season, it would be very special to see him win again, not coming from a Schumy/Ferrari fan. As a Brawn GP fan I can’t help but want Mercedes to succeed in winning something. I don’t know about anyone else but i’m guessing there’ll be a lot of ridicule in the comments though.

    2. And I target to be a millionaire next year. We all have dreams I suppose

      1. this has to be the comment of the day. too many promises and zero results from Schu

        1. He’s promised nothing. The expectations have all been placed on him by the press and fans. From what I understand the German press have been particularly critical of him. I think it’s great that he’s willing to stick with it despite not having found instantaneous success. If Mercedes can develop a more competitive car next year he could easily be challenging for wins again.

    3. Well if the car is good enough, he has the experience and ruthlessness that puts him at an advantage over Rosberg (who admittedly has youth o his side).

      Unfortunately there will be lots of “slagging off.”

      1. You can be as experienced and as ruthless and you want, but it means nothing if you’re slower than your teammate.

    4. IF the team would provide the drivers with a car that works, I guess that the main (and real) threat to Schumacher would be Rosberg, they seem to have equal status in the team after all! Or does that perhaps change if a title is on the line?

      1. good question would Schumacher be happy to be no.2 to his faster team mate?

        1. Is it really a question of him beeing no2? Isn’t the first question if he really is prepared to be equal with his teammate of the championship is on the line?

          After all, if all is hopeless for himself I have no problems imagining him taking the no2 status, he did that with Irvine as I recall?

    5. It’d be great to see him back at the sharp end but if that’s the case he’ll be hard pressed to win the title if Rosberg maintains his current form over him. With most other drivers I’d dismiss these comments with a chuckle but with Schumacher, anything is possible.

    6. Never doubt Schumacher. We’ve been taught that several times throughout his illustrious F1 career. For as long as Ross Brawn cracks the whip and manages to design an excellent car next year, I see no reason why Schumacher cant go for number 8.

      1. AGE! That’s the only reason but a very important one.

        1. Still cant write him off on the basis of his age. He’s looking healthier and fitter than people half his age. For as long as there is still fire in his heart, he’ll fight til the end.

      2. Make that nine times. I never doubted him at Jerez 1997 or Monaco 2006.

        1. James was possibly alluding to the 91 times he won a race. Or maybe the 68 times where he qualified first.

          1. Yep, so thats seven championships, plus my two times makes nine.

            Simple mathematics Bud-O

            1. Fair enough, but your two don’t count :P

    7. Surprising he didn’t mention Rosberg as the best future german driver. Maybe he’s very confident he can take on Nico on a good weekend.

      1. Alexi,this is for you.

        Your post is very unfair and quite untrue in your assertions.You obviously have not seen/read the interviews with Michael Schumacher end of last year,where he tipped Sebastian Vettel as the future German Champ.
        Now he cannot go back on his statement and tip Rosberg can he,whether or not he would like to.

      2. Rosberg is already the best german driver. Vettel might be one day in the future, but obviously he isn’t there yet.

        1. Pstrick,Rosberg is a very steady quiet driver,he doesn’t make a fuss but gets on with the job in hand.I would not say the best of the young lions at this stage,but with a better car who knows what may happen.There again once the car gets sorted anything could happen with both the Mercedes drivers.

    8. So treachery and cunning have alreday conceded to youth and skill. What makes him think that next year will be different?

      He needs to do a Mansell and come over here and take the IndyCar field collectively to the woodshed. The field now is likely arguably weaker than it was in 1994. I’m sure Michael, however burdened by age and regret, will dust up the likes of Franchitti and Danica Patrick, if they don’t crash into him first. However, he will have to adjust to very strict anti-blocking rules, which could be a problem.

      1. Would love to see it but he’s said in the past he think ovals are too dangerous.

        1. Strangely, he seemed to love the only F1 circuit to use part of an oval, with 5 wins and 2 second places in 7 attempts.

        2. Yes ovals were too dangerous and then he stepped on a motorbike …

      2. I think Castroneves, Dixon, Franchitti and Wheldon are the only Indy Car drivers of any merit. Will Power is also having a rather decent year.

    9. Yeap, keep on dreamin’ never gonna happen.

      No win situation, if the car is streets ahead Rosberg would walk it… not a look in for Schmacher sadly, that is the simple reality, although I understand why many (including himself) might dream. Come on its all PR nothing more.

    10. I highly respect Schumacher for being the most successful driver in f1 history, but more than that, I respect him for his comeback. Although he is struggling with form versus Nico, his comeback was truly brave, despite his poor performance this year. This is a cue that Michael won’t retire at the end of the season, contrary to popular belief. Next year, if he still struggles, he will retire. If anyone is going to win this year’s title in a Mercedes, it will be Nico Rosberg. But next year, who knows- give Michael some time.

    11. I can’t see Shumacher finishing ahead of Rosberg this weekend, but even if he does I think he’s too old now to win any championship any time – and time is the deciding factor.

      Rosberg’s got plenty, Shumacher is running short (in racing terms, that is)

      If I’m wrong….

    12. Schumacher – I beg his pardon

    13. theRoswellite
      23rd July 2010, 1:11

      From the start, Michael has been in a no win situation this year, regarding both the car and his teammate. The car may change, but his teammate’s speed, relevant to his own, won’t.

      But give the man a hand, under the kind of scrutiny and pressure none of us will ever know, he has kept positive and is presenting by definition the most professional attitude possible…to do anything less would be unbecoming a champion.

    14. Way to go Schumi, I really want him to stay with the team for until 2012 as his contract. If he stays * hoping the fact that the car will be better then his rivals in the future then I hope he gets those 100 GP wins & his dream of having his 8th WC title.

    15. Good. What else is he in F1 for?

    16. Hmmm, im not sure how to comment on this article but this comment by Schumacher is interesting:

      “I’m not perfectly happy with my own performance,” he admitted. “There is an expectation out there which is impossible to meet, but I’m not a magician – I just need time and I will take my time.”

      http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/239363/patient-schumacher-targets-another-title/

    17. Dammit, thats just what I wanted next year…

    18. Its good to see Schumacher make bold statements like these, unfortunately, he doesn’t have the talent to back these statements up. Even if Brawn does produce a race winning car next year, I cannot see Schumacher finishing in front of Rosberg, Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel.

      I would wish him Best of luck, but hes gonna need a whole lot more than luck, miracles and a fast car to win his 8th WDC.

    19. michael, it’s NEVER going to happen

    20. I used to truly hate Schumacher’s guts back when, so what is it about his comeback that’s softened me on the guy? Maybe it’s seeing that he’s human after all. I say: it’s too early to write him off.

    21. East Londoner
      23rd July 2010, 10:22

      For that to happen Mercedes are going to have to produce a new car that isn’t a pile of rubbish like this year’s one. As much as I like to see Schumacher get another title, I don’t think it will be, seeing how he has struggled all year, and that Rosberg will be the Merc driver that does win the title.

    22. Schumacher only won 7 titles because there wasn’t any other talented drivers in competitive cars at the time. Hill was rubbish but the best of the rest of the field. The 2 times there has been look what happened. Hakkinen champ 98, 99 and alonso champ 05, 06. Now the field has a wealth of talent and good packages he doesn’t have a sniff.

      1. Mike-e ,So you effecitively are calling all of these drivers rubbish starting with this list below:
        Ayrton Senna
        Kimi Raikonnen
        Hakkinen
        Massa,
        Jean Alessi,
        Reubens Barichello
        Damon Hill
        David Coulthard
        Nigel Mansell
        Alain Prost
        Gerhard Berger
        Eddie Irvine,

        I rest my case.

      2. I’m sorry Mike-e, but that’s just more drivel. I don’t even need to point out the talent on the grid that he competed against, but your point about Hakkinen is rendered obsolete by the fact that Schumacher returned and beat him in 2000 and 2001, beat Alonso in 2003 and 2004, as well as the fact that Schumacher’s class MADE the rest of the opposition look weak.

    23. Hang on, he’s already partnered with Brawn again, and it isn’t the car thats at fault, otherwise Rosberg would always be languishing in the midfield with him.
      I think its time for everyone, including Old Schuey, to have a reality check and realise that maybe, no matter how willing and eager you are, you can never recreate the best moments of your youth, and you can never force your body to do what it doesn’t want to do.
      I’m sure theres a place on the Mercedes pit wall for him, just the same as at Ferrari, but I think its about time to started to pass on those amazing skills of his to the next generations (starting with Rosberg) before it really is too late and he cannot get into a car at all……

    24. Fact remains is that F1 is a different sport today, the field is MUCH deeper. Schumi’s days are numbered as every day that passes, makes it that much more difficult. Had Schumi been in a Red Bull, he’d only been in the top 4, but not necessarily dominant.

    25. The Comedian 39
      23rd July 2010, 16:40

      yeah, ok then, and England are going to win the world cup in 2014.

      1. Comment Of The Day for me!!

    26. Mark in Florida
      23rd July 2010, 23:19

      I would like everyone to consider the positives that Michael brings to the team.Michael is an experienced WDC 7 times over,he knows what kind of car it takes to win a world championship.Ferrari was in the dumps when he and Ross and a few others from Benneton showed up.They began a development program to achieve results that Ferrari hadn’t seen in years.The engineers love Michael because his communication about what the car has right or wrong with it translates into continued improvement to make the car a winner.No matter how good a driver is some of them can’t relay to the team what needs to be done to fix the car(Kimi).Also Michael is the fittest driver I have ever seen,anyone who would go out and ride super bikes doesn’t lack courage to drive hard.Michael can hopefully take Rossberg under his wing and relay some of the wealth of his experience to him like he did Massa.Even if Michael never wins another race,in the end Mercedes will still be a better team because he was there.Don’t count him out yet,let’s wait till next years car comes out then have at him.

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