Ralf Keen to Return to Racing in Hungary

Williams-BMW driver Ralf Schumacher believes he can make a Formula One return in the Hungarian Grand Prix in three weeks as he continues to recover from the back injury sustained in the United States in June.

German Schumacher has sat out the last two Grands Prix and is also missing his home race at Hockenheim this weekend after fracturing his spinal column in two places in the high-speed shunt at Indianapolis.

Speaking at Hockenheim, where he made a return to the paddock on Saturday, Schumacher said: "If it was my decision I would be back here (at Hockenheim), but it's not possible. I hope to be back in Hungary. I'd love to be back as soon as possible.

"Generally I feel okay, just some aches and pains depending on what I do, if I walk around too much. We will find out in two weeks, we'll have a 'shakedown' and see how the bone has developed."

Test driver Marc Gene failed to score a single point in the French and British Grands Prix as he stood in for Schumacher and Williams' second tester Antonio Pizzonia is on duty in Germany this weekend.

But Schumacher, who had scored only 12 points in the eight races before his accident, believes his experience is needed if Williams are to return to form -- even though he is leaving for Toyota at the end of the season.

"The team needs me and I would like to come back and help them," he added. "I would like to be back with the improved car as soon as possible because I think we can win some races this year."

Schumacher refused to criticise either the medical staff at Indianapolis for a delay in getting to his stricken car, or doctors at the city's hospital who failed to discover the double fracture of his spine.

"It took little more than a minute to get to me so that was okay," he said. "I wasn't in the best position because they had to go around the circuit as they are not allowed to go against the traffic.

"I don't think we should criticise. They (the doctors at the hospital) tried everything they could, they did their best and they released me the next day because they thought there was no problem."