Schumacher insists title is out of reach

Schumacher is ten points behind title rival Fernando Alonso and needs to win the race and the Spaniard to retire if he is to win the championship.

The German, however, says his main priority is help Ferrari win the constructors' title, as he reckons it will be very hard to see Alonso not scoring on Sunday.

Ferrari are eight points behind Renault.

"I have said already very often that the drivers' championship is not in my thoughts anymore," Schumacher told reporters after practice. "To fight for it it would be impossible to have the gap we need.

"In normal situations we don't have a gap of eight places, and I don't want to hope for a retirement or strange circumstances.

"But I think we can fight for the constructors' championship and for that we would like to have some cars in between us.

Schumacher, retiring after the Brazilian Grand Prix, was sixth fastest in the afternoon practice session after not even going out in the morning.

Alonso was down in tenth place.

"I think we can hope for victory," said Schumacher. "We have to see if we can do it but we have the chance to fight for it.

"I want to do well and I am not feeling very different. You don't think it is the last race because we still want to win the championship."