Schumacher: Pirelli test not key

The German is likely to get his first experience of Pirelli's new rubber during the two-day tyre test that has been pencilled in for the week after the season finale.

And with him having struggled so much with the nature of this year's Bridgestones, how well Schumacher gets on with the new tyres is set to play a key role in how well he could perform in 2011.

But Schumacher reckons it will take more than just the first test to say for definite how much the new tyres suit him - because it is unclear how much the rubber will change from the Abu Dhabi test until the start of the season.

"There is a question of what I will experience at the first test, and the other thing is how much it will develop from there to the beginning of the season and through the season," said Schumacher when asked how much he could learn from the first test.

"There is a question mark about if the tyres we have in Abu Dhabi are the tyres that we will start the season with, and we will continue the season with.

"Depending on what is the situation there [in Abu Dhabi], you will get a quick read because you know how the car was with the Bridgestone tyres and then you understand quickly what it is with Pirelli tyres."

As well as the hope that Schumacher will be better suited to the Pirelli tyres, Mercedes GP is keeping its fingers crossed that its decision to switch its focus onto its 2011 car will help it make a good step forward for next year.

But although a similar tactic in 2008 played a key part in helping Brawn GP win the championship the following year, Schumacher says other factors - such as team budget - may not make a repeat title charge so easy to accomplish.

"We know that we have nothing to win this year whereas the other three teams are fighting for the championship," he said about his main title rivals. "We have at this moment a little bit of a time advantage.

"At the same time don't forget that we have slightly smaller resources, so we hope that this can compensate, and we can do a very good job. Focusing on next year's car is vital in our position - in order to be competitive and to have similar playing fields from then on."