Ferrari promise more speed

Michael Schumacher has been promised an even quicker car as he attempts to complete his championship comeback by sweeping into the lead in the title chase in Austria next week.

The German’s Ferrari team are confident they can make the F2003-GA in which he powered to a debut win in Spain yesterday even faster.

Schumacher’s victory to follow-up the winning send-off he gave the old car in Italy two weeks earlier has totally transformed the championship standings.

The five-time world beater was 16 points adrift of series leader Kimi Raikkonen after the third race in Brazil but the deficit is now just four points with his McLaren rival crashing out on the starting grid at the Circuit de Catalunya.

It is a similar story in the manufacturers’ championship where McLaren’s lead over Ferrari two races ago was a massive 23 – now it is just three heading to the A1-Ring.

Schumacher’s margin of victory over Renault’s Fernando Alonso was not as emphatic as many expected in the new car which has been named ’The Shark’ but sporting director Jean Todt has bit back at its detractors.

“Maybe they were disappointed but we were not disappointed,” said the Frenchman. “There is a lot to come from the car yet.

“I am very happy with its performance. It went perfectly well, the first race with the 2003-GA, finishing first and third (with Rubens Barrichello) and catching 16 points to our major competitor in the manufacturers championship and 10 points for Michael in the drivers.

“We still know where the strengths of the car are, where the weaknesses are and we have a lot of development.

“We were at the end of the development with the F2002 and we are starting to develop the 2003-GA. Saying that, knowing the potential of the car, it was crucial to finish the race and so we did, so it was very encouraging.”