Relieved Schumacher Thanks Mechanics

World Champion Michael Schumacher said today that his Ferrari team were fortunate to repair a gearbox problem on his car in time for the crucial Saturday qualifying session for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix.

But the German, who suffered the problem in the morning said he could be starting from the back if the problem had been any worse.

"We had a problem on the gearbox side and the single lap qualifying doesn't allow you to make any mistakes," said Schumacher. "We were able to fix things thanks to the great work of the mechanics. But imagine you have another problem and you can't even do your qualifying lap.

"In the past you had other possibilities, you had more time available and you didn't have just one run available, but we have to take it the way it is."

Schumacher, who despite the new regulations grabbed pole in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, finished only third in Saturday's qualifying session at Sepang behind Renault drivers Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli.

The German has won two of the four races at Sepang since it first appeared on the Grand Prix calendar in 1999 but Saturday's result prevented him from continuing his record of claiming every pole position at the circuit.

Schumacher, however, remained confident he can enjoy a successful race and added: "At the end of the day you care obviously what happens in the race, that is the most important thing.

"To reach pole position is fantastic but obviously the way rules are, you have to concentrate very much on the race. I don't know what the Renault guys have done. Obviously they've done a good job, otherwise they wouldn't be on pole. I don't want to take any credit from them but at the end of the day we will wait and find out."