Ralf has no regrets

The German ace has taken a big-money offer to join the struggling Toyota outfit and, although Williams appears to have turned the corner in its performance after a difficult start to the campaign, he still believes he has made the right decision. Schumacher finished second in Japan before Juan Pablo Montoya triumphed at Interlagos.

"If I had a car capable of challenging for the title this year and felt we could win it next, then I would have stayed at BMW-Williams," he told British newspaper The Sunday Mirror. "But that was not the case.

"My target is to win the world drivers' championship. I want to be the best. Sadly, it has not happened. Each time both myself and the team were left a little frustrated at the end. I decided it was time to go somewhere else. When you stop believing it will work it is time to move on.

"In any sport you can sometimes stay in the same place too long. This was the right thing to do."

Although Toyota has struggled to make progress since first entering F1 in 2002, Schumacher is adamant that the arrival of himself and new team-mate Jarno Trulli will provide it with the impetus it needs to make the necessary steps forward.

"Toyota are a young team who have only been involved in F1 for a couple of years. They are ambitious, like myself, and believe they can put together a car able to compete for both the drivers' and constructors' championships," he added.

"Where else could I have gone? Apart from Ferrari, it's difficult to see which other team could give me what I want. It may be a risk but it's an exciting one."