Schumacher fired up for new season

Although the German is coming off the back of a disappointing 2005 campaign, he has admitted that the early promise of the new Ferrari 248 F1 has helped him erase all the negatives of last year.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with this week's Autosport magazine, Schumacher said: "I feel very different, simply because, yes, after you've had a story of success like we had, to then have a hard season... you sort of get tired by the end of a season like that.

"After a season like that to then all winter be off the pace would be very tough. It's very consuming on the energy side. Whereas now, it's the opposite to last season. You feel so much more motivated and happy to run with this car, see you're there and that you can fight them maybe. It's great."

In the interview, Schumacher has also said he feels liberated by the characteristics of the new V8-powered cars.

"I feel I'm able to express myself more in these cars, that I don't have to hold back so much because I no longer have to worry about stressing the tyres," he added.

• Read the full interview by Mark Hughes in tomorrow's issue of Autosport Magazine.