Schuey aims for debut win with new car

Schumacher won driving the F2002 on its race debut in Brazil last year, and he believes that he can repeat the feat in Ferrari's 2003 car.

"Getting back to winning ways really is a positive thing, even more so because we won in front of our own fans," said Schumacher of his Imola victory. "The win showed that Ferrari is not in crisis and also means that we can look ahead to the next race with confidence.

"We are all eager to see how the F2003-GA does on its debut. I think it was right to wait until Spain to go with the new car because we had to build up more data and gather crucial statistics. This always helps, though we can rest assured of the strong points of the new Ferrari."

Schumacher believes that a win in Spain could spark a period of Ferrari dominance akin to that seen last season. "At Imola I had the impression that we could repeat last year's trend: that our form could take off with the start of the European races," he said. "So I feel positive going into Barcelona, even more so because we have done lots of tyre tests on the circuit.

"Usually at Montmelo it is important to find a balanced set-up, seeing as there are both slow and fast curves. It will be a good challenge for the F2003-GA, which is a fantastic car. My aim is to match the performance of the F2002 the first time out: that is, a victory."