Feature: Schumacher Aims for Return to Podium

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher aims to reclaim the Formula One podium on Sunday in a Malaysian Grand Prix that has favoured him more than any other driver.

The five-times World Champion has won the race twice in its four years' existence - and it would have been three had he not handed victory to Briton Eddie Irvine under team orders in 1999. The German has also started every Malaysian Grand Prix on pole position.

The ultra-modern circuit near Kuala Lumpur's international airport could prove the ideal place for Schumacher to begin the Ferrari backlash after being pushed off the podium in Australia two weeks ago for the first time in 20 races.

David Coulthard's win for McLaren in Melbourne ended Ferrari's run of 53 successive podiums and also marked the first time since 1998 that the Italian team had not started the season with a win.

Schumacher, winner of an unprecedented 11 races out of 17 last year, also lost the lead in the Championship for the first time since September 2000 but he expects normal service to be resumed by the end of the week.

"It is clear that the battle with the competition is getting closer now and we can expect this to produce some great duels," he said.

"The fact I came fourth (in Australia) means that I won't be the course opening car during Friday's qualifying in Sepang, as was the case in Melbourne. I am convinced I have a good chance of winning in Malaysia."

Unpredictable Events

New regulations and single-lap qualifying were introduced in Melbourne but Schumacher brushed off suggestions that the changes had played a part in his comparative failure.

"It was just one of those races with a series of unpredictable events, notably the rain and the phases with the safety car," he said.

The jury may remain out on the impact of the rule changes for a while longer however, with the weather in Malaysia just as variable as in Australia. Two years ago the start was hit by a tropical downpour, with the safety car deployed after drivers had aquaplaned off the slippery, flooded track.

"I am not too sure what we can expect," said Schumacher. "Especially as last year, the situation turned around completely from the first to the second race of the season. But I am sure we can be confident...that, once again, we will be in the hunt for the win."

The new qualifying format, with cars running on different fuel loads as a result of the new ban on refuelling between Saturday afternoon and the race, has also served to disguise the gap between Ferrari and challengers.

Schumacher's teammate, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, has been back to Brazil since he crashed in Australia and has had more treatment to ease some back pain.

"I think we learned a lot, as a team, when it comes to dealing with the challenges of the new regulations," said Barrichello of Melbourne. "We will be carrying out some aspects of our work and preparation in a different fashion to the way we tackled it in Melbourne."

Williams Wait

McLaren, with Coulthard's teammate Kimi Raikkonen third in Australia, look to have closed the gap since the end of last year but Williams's Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya could also have won in Melbourne.

Williams were on top at Sepang last year, with Ralf Schumacher leading Montoya in a one-two, but have not won since then.

"It is pretty difficult to say how we will perform in Malaysia," said Montoya, second in Australia. "We might be really good or we might be 10th."