Schumacher expects a 'classic' in France

Although it is widely accepted that Ferrari's dominant form in the United States Grand Prix was a one-off, as a result of Michelin playing it too conservative, Schumacher thinks that improvements to his Ferrari have put him in good stead for this weekend.

"Testing went well," he said about the run at Jerez in Spain last week. "We are moving in the right direction. As I have already said, we want to do what we can to close the gap.

"Indianapolis was an extremely exciting race but the result should not be overplayed. The gap was too big and the standings did not accurately reflect the true balance of power. In any case, I will enjoy this moment as we have come through some very tough weekends.

"I think that the race in France could be another classic. We have often seen how details can affect the outcome of a race and this could be true of Magny-Cours. We will not know much until everyone takes to the track on Friday."

Schumacher's victory at Indianapolis, with championship leader Fernando Alonso managing no better than fifth, meant the German has closed the gap in the championship to 19 points.

That margin may not be ideal, but Schumacher is convinced that it is possible to cut that down over the remainder of the season.

"From now on, we will fight in the real sense of the word and each race will be an opportunity for us to come back," he explained. "Nineteen points can be bridged and I am convinced of this. We want to win and will battle to the end. There is no reason to give up".