Ralf Confirms he will Race in France

Schumacher's accident in Friday's practice, in which the German hit the wall at almost the same place as his big crash last year, forced him out for the rest of the weekend, although his Toyota team did not race on Sunday, like the rest of the Michelin runners.

"I'm fully recovered from my accident and I'm looking forward to getting back to racing in France," said Schumacher. "Magny-Cours is not my favourite track of the year, but the French Grand Prix is one of six races which I have won in my career so far."

The German driver will be back at Magny-Cours for the first time since 2003, having skipped last year's race after his crash at Indianapolis sidelined him for six Grands Prix.

"I did not take part in last year's event, so this week's race will mark my first trip since I won in 2003," he added.

"It is hard to know how we will perform there this year, but our overall package is still competitive with half of the season now gone, so we will certainly be looking for more points."