Schumacher’s nerves ahead of new season

WORLD champion Michael Schumacher admits he is “nervous” going into the new season.

The German will line up in Melbourne on March 6 knowing the entire grid is gunning for him after he ran away with the 2004 title.

Alongside team-mate Rubens Barrichello, the seven-time champion begins another title defence, not in the new car that was unveiled at the team’s Maranello base yesterday, but in an updated version of his dominant machine from last season.

Although it was good enough to propel him to 13 wins in 18 races, the rest of the F1 field will start 2005 in their new cars.

Renault and McLaren look to have hit the ground running, setting winter testing times that, while notoriously unreliable guides to early season speed, have unsettled the Ferrari team leader.

“I’m here for the 10th time and after nine years I’m still happy and a bit nervous about the new season,” the 36-year-old said.

“The new car looks good but we’ll only see how good later. Of course, I would have liked to have the new car immediately.

“Maybe it means we have slightly less chances to win but with 19 races this will be a long season.

“We have taken a decision that is a compromise but many of the other teams would like to have our compromise.

“Not having the new car is certainly not an advantage.”

Ferrari will spend the two months between the curtain-raiser in Australia and the fifth grand prix of the season in Spain developing the F2005 before it races in Barcelona on May 8.

Like the modified car which will start the campaign, Ferrari have built it to meet the raft of alterations to the sport’s rule book.

The aerodynamic performance of the cars has been reduced, engines must last two race weekends and one set of tyres has to be durable enough to get a driver through qualifying and the race.

Ferrari’s technical director Ross Brawn, who has overseen the development of both the new and interim cars, is understood to share Schumacher’s concern about the team’s competitiveness in the opening four races.

While the hybrid car has been quick and predictably reliable over the winter, it has seldom challenged the times set by the Renaults and McLarens.

But he stressed that the new car would be worth the wait.

“I believe this is the best car we have produced to date,” said Brawn.

“There are no radical features of this car but logical progressions in all the areas that we feel make a good racing car.

“It’s stiffer, lighter, more stable and, fundamentally important in the light of the new regulations, will place less stress on the tyres.”

And Schumacher believes the team he joined in 1996 have enjoyed their challenging winter and are hungry for more success despite winning every constructors’ title since 1999.

He added: “What’s more important is that we have a very good team.

“Even after all our years of success we are highly motivated.

“So let’s hope for the best.”