Schuey: Rules are irrelevant

From next year onwards teams will be limited to a single set of tyres for qualifying and the race; engines will have to last for two race weekends; front and rear aerodynamics will be altered; and, the most controversial of all, engine manufacturers will have to build 2.4-litre V8 engines ready for the 2006 season.

Schumacher drove a test car designed to simulate the 2005 technical changes earlier this month and while he admitted at the time it was initially difficult, technical director Ross Brawn said the German soon adjusted.

Following the season-finale in Brazil last weekend, Schumacher insisted he was not worried about the new rules and believes Ferrari will still be fighting at the top.

"The new rules will make things interesting and we all have to get used to them," he said. "However, the years of experience have proved that the rules are irrelevant; the best team always wins. We have been the best for quite a while and you can bet that it is our desire for things to remain that way for quite a bit longer."

Schumacher failed to end his season on a high at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but the German said he had no reason to be disappointed.

"There is no reason to be sad after this race," he said. "We have had a fantastic season! We won both world titles and more races than we ever dreamed possible so we can't feel any delusion.

"I must say that at the start of the year when we presented the new single-seater, how surprised everyone was by how cautious we were. During winter too everybody speculated on how 2004 would see an end to our series of victories. Honestly...we too were thinking the same thing!

"Having dominated to the extent we have is extraordinary; this is what we should take from the season. We can be proud with what we have achieved."