Schumacher Doesn't Rule Out Victory with F2001

World Champion Michael Schumacher doesn't rule out winning in this week's Australian Grand Prix, despite the fact that his team elected to race with last year's car.

"It is hard to predict what the other teams' performance will be like, but obviously we can't ignore the progress their cars made over the last few weeks," the Ferrari driver said in Melbourne today. "Maybe we'll manage to finish second or third, but I wouldn't rule out the chance of a victory. The F2001 is a great car, and it has demonstrated it can still perform nicely in the latest tests."

Schumacher, who arrived at Melbourne a few days ago, reaffirmed his support for the team's decision to start the season with the F2001, while the 2002 car continues to be developed. He couldn't say, however, for how many races the F2002 will remain in the factory.

"The decision to race with the 2001 car had valid reasons," Schumacher told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "To be fast, but without gaining any points, would be useless. The season is long and this is just the start; every point gained could be decisive. I don't know how many races we'll use last year's car: a lot will depend on how it will end up here in Australia.

"I'm enjoying the last few quiet moments, but I can't wait to race again, it's a sensation I feel every year. After the winter testing you want to measure yourself again in racing trim - to know what your condition is, and to compare yourself to your advesaries. After all, winter testing only gives you a vague idea of the performance of the car.

"In any case, we'll give our best in Melbourne, and we can be optimistic, also looking at the Championship."