Schuey relishes challenge of Monaco

World Championship leader Michael Schumacher says he is relishing the annual challenge of the Monaco street circuit this weekend, but admits he sometimes questions the sanity of racing Formula 1 cars around the narrow roads

"Every year we ask ourselves why we continue to race here and every year we decide to come back," he said. "In many ways, it's a strange thing. Probably, we think it is only one of 17 races on the calendar and that once a year we can take this sort of risk with all the necessary precautions. You really have to avoid making any risky moves because the consequences can be serious."

Despite his concerns, Schumacher is looking forward to tackling the Armco-lined streets: "The Monaco Grand Prix is a challenge. Racing between the guard rails at high speed is tiring, but at the same time, extremely motivating because it is so narrow. I really like driving here. There are so many blind corners which make it unique."

The German believes he has an excellent chance of winning his sixth race of the season this weekend as his Ferrari has all the elements required to dominate.

"I think the F2002 will go well in Monaco," he said. "The car intrinsically has a lot of aerodynamic downforce, which is a very important factor at this track. Also from the mechanical point of view we are well prepared, and Bridgestone are bringing a tyre well suited to the characteristics of this track. I am reasonably optimistic about our level of competitiveness."