Michael Schumacher: "Our desire to win the title is
as strong as ever"
Formula 1's summer break is coming to an end. On Wednesday
Michael Schumacher will be heading to Istanbul for the Grand
Prix of Turkey. On the way he will make a stop in Athens.
On the 25th anniversary of the National Drivers' team, the
Italian squad that competes in charity games and of which
Michael is a part, will play in Greece for the first time.
The game will kick off at 21.00 at the Stadio Karaiskaki and
will be against a Greek all-star team. It will be 'a great
premiere' as Michael stated.
From Thursday on the focus will shift to the next round of
the Formula 1 Grand Prix championship. "This is how things
should be", he smiled. The German champion is looking
forward to his latest challenge. "We have had a few days
off and, naturally, I had a pleasant time. However, I could
have done without it as it would have been better to go straight
into the Grand Prix of Turkey after Hungary. The title challenge
is so exciting that I cannot wait for the next race. The Istanbul
weekend is finally about to get underway".
There are five races left before the end of the season: "Five
chances to change the current situation and win the title",
announced the seven time world champion. "The positive
news from the Hungary weekend was that I can still win by
concentrating only on what I do. The challenge goes on and
our chances are undimmed. We should not make the mistake of
thinking that our chances dipped after Hungary. Instead we
ought to look ahead; we could have found ourselves in a much
worse position at this stage of the season. Our desire is
exactly the same and Istanbul is a very important stage on
the road to the title".
And how does Michael see his chances in Turkey? He is hopeful:
"I think things are looking good". The standings
are too complex to give a precise response, as the last race
proved. "We recall well how Magny Cours was demanding
and how at Hockenheim we dominated. There was also the race
at the Hungaroring where, leaving aside the weather, things
went our way (though the race showed how decisive a role the
weather can play). Overall, it is tough to predict the relative
strength of the teams as they alter according to the track.
I think that we should be competitive at the weekend. After
all, our potential is as high as ever".
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