Schumacher: I will let Eddie go

But unless the Ulsterman is right behind him Schumacher insisted, 'Eddie will have to manage on his own.'

The double champion is making a surprise return from injury on Sunday at the Sepang race after three months on the sidelines, having suffered a double fracture of his right leg in the British Grand Prix in July.

He denied Ferrari forced him to return early insisting he was racing for the team and not for his teammate who faces a crucial weekend in the scrap for the drivers championship.

Irvine is two points behind world champion Mika Hakkinen with one round remaining after Sunday's Sepang race.

'Lets make it very clear I am first of all driving for the team and not in the interests of Eddie,' said Schumacher only hours after flying into Kuala Lumpur for the penultimate round of the world championship.

'The only way I can help him is if I am directly in front of him - then I will let him by, that is very clear. But if that not the case he will have to manage by himself.

'Otherwise we will be working together to score maximum points for the
constructors championship.

'I feel I can win the race. I feel very good inside.

'In qualifying I am 100 per cent but I am not sure whether I will feel different in a long race.

'For sure it will be difficult for me to race flat out from the first lap to the last.

'I have not been pain-free in training and that is why I have not been able to get my fitness back to 100 per cent.

'But car performance wise and as far as my performance is concerned we have a good opportunity to win here and fight for the constructors' title and the drivers' championship for Eddie in the last two races.

'The car is a lot, lot better than when I last raced it and we will be able to show we are better than we showed in Monza. Nurburgring was no judge of anything.

'We need to show everyone our potential because I do not believe we have been doing that in the last few races.'

He countered speculation Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo had forced him to bring forward his plans to return next March.

'I have heard stories Montezemolo is making me drive but I am independent enough to make my own decisions. I dont need anyone to make suggestions.

'He did ask me whether there would be any chance of changing my decision not to race but so have many of other people. Only you, yourself, can decide what you want to do.'

Ten days ago Schumacher said he would not return this year but three days later Ferrari issued a press release saying he had changed his mind.

In Malaysia Schumacher on Wednesday said it was a during a brief test on developments for next years car that had discovered he was ready to return.

'The team asked me to test some things for next year and I said I would as long as I could do it five laps at a time.

'But this was the lucky moment for me because while I was testing I was asking myself how can I explain I actually feel like I want to drive,' he added.

'After I took a decision on Sunday I said I would not drive and then Monday when I drove the car again I felt completely different.

'It was a satisfying moment driving the car without pain and feeling so comfortable.

'I wanted to be sure and thats why I asked the team for extra days testing on Thursday and Friday.

'After I did I really felt I wanted to race. Thats why I wanted to change my mind rather than stick by a decision that was wrong.

'I am painfree now when I am driving. To be honest I am surprised I am as fit as I am considering the amount of training I have had. I am reasonably fit but not as fit as I used to be.

'Okay, I am not fighting for the drivers championship but I am fighting for the team for the constructors and I have seen the team struggling for the last two or three races in particular.

'Maybe I will not do a 100 per cent job in the race, we will see, but I have to look ahead to next year. For me it is important what happens in the last two races because whatever result we get it will run with us for the whole of the winter.'