Feature: Schumacher Aims for Business as Usual

Ferrari and Michael Schumacher are hoping for business as usual when the Formula One championship opens a new era on Sunday with a radically rewritten rulebook.

The sport's rulers may want surprises from the biggest shakeup in decades but the odds are that, despite new measures, five times world champion Schumacher will kick off with yet another win in Australia.

The German has been on top of the standings for 896 days and finished every race on the podium last year while Ferrari, starting with a revised version of the stunningly reliable F2002, have set the standards in testing.

It will be more of a shock if they do not triumph yet even after taking 15 wins from 17 races in 2002, four successive constructors' titles and three drivers' crowns, the team are taking nothing for granted.

"The seven titles we have taken over the last four years have not blunted our hunger for more," team boss Jean Todt said in Ferrari's race preview. "We believe that it is probably impossible to repeat what we did last season. Our competitors will do their utmost to make our life difficult."

McLaren and Williams will provide the main challenge, although the former team have yet to introduce their new car and the latter have been working overtime to correct aerodynamic problems with their FW25 challenger.

Patience Needed

Briton David Coulthard, the only current driver other than Schumacher to have won in Melbourne, believes the Ferrari drivers will again set the pace.

"I think that realistically Ferrari start the season with an advantage and it's a question of how many points they will amass before we get the new car and hopefully be in a better situation," he said on Thursday.

"I'm not as confident in our championship aspirations as I was at the beginning of last year and obviously then that proved not to be very good once we got into the year," added the Scot, winner in Melbourne in 1997.

"It takes time to rebuild and restructure and we just have to be patient."

The rule changes, with one-lap qualifying and tight controls on changing setup and parts before the race, introduce an element of uncertainty in a sport that has become all too predictable. That could help produce a few surprises.

"We've seen in the past with Michael that under pressure he does make mistakes," said Coulthard. "He just hasn't been under pressure for a couple of years.

"We need to have at least an equal car and with that situation then it is possible to beat him."

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, second in Melbourne last year with Williams and eager to win after taking seven poles without victory in 2002, will be one of those trying hard to apply the pressure.

"Whatever each team has done over the winter, nothing really tells you where you are until the first GP weekend, and this season, the new rules will add some more uncertainty," he said.

"I like the idea of one-shot qualifying. It would be great to improve on last year's result, of course, but I will be quite content to build my performance race by race this season, and make sure we improve each GP right the way to the end of the season."

Sunday's race will provide concrete answers after the pre-season bluffing, with Friday's opening qualifying giving the first real indication of where teams stand before Saturday's more tactical final session.

Toyota, 10th in the standings last year, could be the big surprise with a new car that strongly resembles the F2002.

Four newcomers - Brazilians Antonio Pizzonia at Jaguar and Toyota's Cristiano da Matta as well as Britons Justin Wilson (Minardi) and Jordan's Ralph Firman - aim to start their Grand Prix careers with a splash.