Schumacher’s doctor not at Jerez last week

The last shreds of doubt about Michael Schumacher’s fitness dissolved in the days leading into the Jerez test last week.

At the first test of the 2010 pre-season at Valencia early this month, the German was accompanied by his doctor Johannes Peil.

Reports at the time said that while the 41-year-old felt fully recovered from injuries sustained a year ago in a motorcycle testing crash, Peil was on hand to check how his neck was standing up to the unique forces exerted by a F1 car.

Peil was then absent at Jerez last week.

“He was in Valencia to do some checks, as he has been with me very often in the past,” Schumacher told F1’s official website.

“We wanted to make sure I am best prepared, and obviously I am, as we both didn’t see the necessity to have him join me in Jerez,” he added.

The seven time world champion will be at the wheel of the single Mercedes GP W01 car when the second Jerez test begins on Wednesday.

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