Ferrari Can Expect Some Defeats, Says Schumacher

Michael Schumacher has ruled out Ferrari's domination extending to every remaining Formula One race of the season.

"It is not our target to win every race because I think it is an unrealistic target," the team's four times World Champion told reporters at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he is aiming for a fourth win in a row.

"And it would be a very arrogant target," added the German, who said after the last Spanish Grand Prix that there would not be a circuit at which Ferrari could not hope to win.

"We try to do our best job and we will see what comes out but I am sure there will be circuits this year where we are simply not good enough and we will be beaten."

The 33-year-old, who leads the Championship by 21 points, is heading for a record equalling fifth Championship success this season after winning four out of five races so far and coming third in the other.

He could also break the record, that he holds with Britain's former champion Nigel Mansell, of nine wins in a single season. Schumacher's new F2002, introduced at the third race in Brazil, lapped almost a second faster than the rest in Spain two weeks ago and has yet to be beaten with Schumacher winning at Interlagos, Imola and Barcelona.

Renault's Briton Jenson Button told a news conference on Thursday that he could not see his team challenging Ferrari this season.

"I think that it's going to be very difficult for anyone, especially us," he said.

So dominant have Ferrari become that some critics, particularly in Britain, have begun to suggest that it is making the sport predictable and boring. But Austria stands out as the sole race on the 17-round calendar that has not witnessed a Schumacher victory. McLaren's David Coulthard won last year.

"Barcelona was in all respects in our favour, tyre-wise, aerodynamic-wise, power-wise. Everything as a package," said Schumacher of his last triumph.

"Here I do not see that is the case. It is a stop-and-go circuit and we saw last year, in certain stints of the race, that the Williams was very fast. So I feel it is going to be closer. But I still hope that we have a little bit of an edge."