Schumacher Eyeing Fifth Canada Win

Championship leader Michael Schumacher is confident he can score his fifth victory at the Canadian Grand Prix next Sunday, although the Ferrari driver admitted he is not a big fan of the Gilles Villeneuve circuit.

Schumacher won the Monaco Grand Prix ten days ago to extend his lead in the standings to twelve points over McLaren rival David Coulthard, and he is hopeful to extend it even further despite claiming his driving style does not suit the Canadian track.

"Although I like the place, I can't say the circuit is a particular favourite of mine," Schumacher said. "But I have always gone quite well there if you look at the statistics. I don't think there is a particular reason for that, as I am not even sure that the circuit suits my style of driving.

"I prefer high speed corners, and there are none of them there. So I can't find any real explanation as to why I have been successful here in the past. But I am optimistic that I can maintain my good record this time as well."

Schumacher has won the Canadian Grand Prix four times - three of them with Ferrari in 1997, 1998 and 2000, and one with the Benetton team in 1994.

"The records I have in Montreal are good but that means nothing now as it is a new challenge.

"We need to be prepared to do a good job. It will be a tight competition between us and probably McLaren and Williams, and anyone else who has improved a lot."