Ferrari Not Close to Curing Problems

In the wake of Ferrari's slump in performance at the Turkish Grand Prix, the team's fortunes have not improved much during testing at Monza this week - leaving Schumacher downbeat about the rest of the season.

"We've had a few ups and downs recently," he said at Monza. "We saw the strength in Hockenheim and Hungary but then there was Turkey. And look at here - we are somewhere in between like at Silverstone and Magny-Cours.

"The car is the same - we are working very hard on the tyres but unfortunately we didn't get it right. So at the moment we are working very hard and trying our best. But so far we have not found a solution to cure this problem."

Although Ferrari have previously been reluctant to openly criticise the work of Bridgestone this year, Schumacher has made no bones about the tyre company's responsibility for what has happened to Ferrari.

"How can we be on pole position if the car has lack of mechanical grip? So I think there is a very straightforward answer (to Ferrari's problems).

"It was so obvious that we did not have the grip we wanted to have in Turkey on the tyre side. I don't think we need to argue about that. It is too obvious. If I say anything else I will make myself look stupid and there is no point in doing so.

"As I said before, Bridgestone is working very hard; we are a big team, we are a strong team and we had many successes, but we don't have it at the moment. I don't understand how to solve the problem.

"I don't think we need to talk about the car. We are good in two races but not good anywhere else. Maybe we are completely stupid not knowing how to work on the car, or the tyres don't work. I think Turkey was a very obvious situation."

Despite his pessimism about Ferrari's current state, however, Schumacher still believes that the team can win again this year.

"We are coming to tracks we know and that Bridgestone know. We will have to wait and see, but we can win races. Look at what happened in Budapest. We have the potential to do so."