Car changes a boost for Schumacher

The German team is running several updates, including a longer wheelbase car, in Barcelona, with Schumacher also having reverted to the chassis he used during winter testing after struggling with its handling in the early part of the season.

The changes saw Schumacher enjoy a promising start to the weekend, the seven-time champion setting the third fastest time behind the Red Bulls.

And Schumacher admitted he was feeling a lot more positive now.

"It's certainly feeling a lot more a race car into my hands than at least in China," Schumacher told reporters. "China we obviously haven't fully understood exactly, but nevertheless I'm feeling comfortable in the car.

"That's what I'm asking to do, if we can work very well with my engineers, my team. Obviously the improvement to the car certainly helps."

He added: "It's not about confidence, it's simply that the car goes where I want it to go and I don't have to wait too long to go to this point.

"The clear trend is there. We have improved certainly, I have more ability to work the car to my needs, that's what it is, that's what I look for. The team has reacted very good, and now we look forward to make the best out of this."

He said the car is now reacting to the changes the way that he wants, and feels that confirms there was something wrong with the car in China, where he endured a difficult weekend.

"The matter of fact is with the car we have right now, we certainly have the ability to work it a lot more in directions that I'm looking for. That simple was not possible before.

"So I'm feeling a lot more confident in what the car is doing to me. Again it sort of confirmed that China, whatever glitch it was, but something didn't work out for whatever reason, and that works back to a more normal situation."