Schumacher admits ‘more relaxed’ but still ‘serious’ about F1

Michael Schumacher admits he is more relaxed now but denies this new attitude explains his lack of performance after returning to formula one in 2010.

In an interview with Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, the seven time world champion said until his retirement in 2006 he was immersed in the “negative aspects” of formula one.

“It absolutely wore me down,” said Schumacher, who has struggled to match the pace of his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg so far this season.

He continued: “I believe people have noticed that how I was extremely dogged in the past I am now more calm, in a way that previously I was only able to be sometimes.”

But as the criticism mounts, particularly after China where Schumacher struggled notably, he insists: “I have not lost any focus or my determination.

“I am still taking it seriously and am still very hard on myself.  In that way nothing has changed,” said the record winner of 91 grands prix.

Schumacher admits his biggest problem with today’s formula one is the tyres.

“The narrower front tyres, both for the dry and for the rain, I don’t know from my past.  Each driver needs to learn how they behave and so my colleagues have a head-start.”

He explained that where previously he would be using practice sessions to work on fine-tuning for the race, he is now feeling uncertain on Fridays as to how the weekend will develop.

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