Schu says he has nothing to prove

MICHAEL Schumacher insists he has nothing to prove in this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix despite the worst Formula One result of his career in China.

The seven-time world champion was relegated to backmarker in a disastrous weekend at Shanghai which featured two spins and a crash with rival Christian Klien, as well as a puncture.

Schumacher eventually ended the race 12th for his lowest finishing position in Formula One but remains upbeat ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

The Ferrari driver expects to return to the front, where he believes team-mate Rubens Barrichello, on the hunt for a third consecutive win, will be one of his main threats.

Schumacher said: “It’s probably fair to say we will be highly competitive here and highly motivated at the home grand prix of Bridgestone. We’ll see what we can do for it.

“It’s important that a Ferrari wins, whether that is Rubens or myself. I would like it to be me.

“I’m very confident Bridgestone will give us firstly a tyre that can win the race and secondly a tyre that can finish the race.

“I don’t have anything to prove. I will give everything and see how it works out.

“In terms of speed I was there in China. The race did not give me a lot of possibilities to see where we would have ended up. I am not thinking too much about China.”

Schumacher has a clear idea of where Ferrari’s competition will come from at Suzuka. He has tipped BAR, who benefit from a special Honda engine for the Japanese company’s home race, and McLaren to continue their run of form.

Both teams have been the best of the rest in recent races, a situation Schumacher expects to continue.

Sunday’s race will be the last for Olivier Panis, who retires from grand prix racing prematurely following a shake-up at Toyota.