Formula 1: Schumacher in favour of new F1 laws

Michael Schumacher has welcomed the return of traction control this weekend - because it will make him go even faster.

The controversial driver aid, which reduces wheelspin at corners and race starts, makes it's comeback after eight years in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The system was banned in 1993 but is returning because FIA, the sport's world governing body, cannot police it adequately enough to ensure no team is cheating.

But triple world champion Schumacher insists the skill of the driver will not be reduced by its reintroduction.

"I am in favour of it because we can go faster and drive more extremely on the limit," said Schumacher, who jointly leads the championship with McLaren's David Coulthard.

"It gives us more freedom to drive a bit faster and the ability to take the car permanently to the limit is what makes a good driver.

"It is more difficult to stay permanently on the limit and the more you go, the more you have to overcome yourself. That's what makes a good driver."

The Ferrari ace added: "I don't see why the skill of the driver is reduced by it.

"If you think back to 1991 and 1992, in 1991 Ricardo Patrese and Nigel Mansell were on the same level.

"But one year later, with more electronics, Mansell was outpacing Patrese because you had to go more to the limit of the car.

"But it will not make drivers' equal. It will increase the whole level, but at the new higher level you will see the good drivers remaining the good ones.

"I don't remember it precisely, but when we stopped with traction control there was no huge difference. Now the lap times will be a bit faster, but not much.

"The situation we have now is that you have certain peaks which you cannot control and they cause wheelspin.

"Some of these peaks you will control in future which makes it a bit more consistent, but we are talking about minor things."

Schumacher, who won the opening two races but has had problems in the last two, is confident his Ferrari will be back to its best on the Circuit de Catalunya just outside Barcelona.

"After the first two races everybody spoke about an unbeatable Ferrari, now they speak about a crisis. You can't take everything serious," he added.

"I think we will be competitive again and I believe we will be up at the front."