Schumacher says 2011 rules are 'mega'

Although the high number of overtaking moves in the early races has been questioned in some quarters, Schumacher has no doubts about what he thinks of the DRS and impact of Pirelli tyres.

"I think it is a day and night of a difference, and it is a mega success what we have been seeing - not just in Shanghai but also in the previous races," he explained. "And that is particularly from a drivers' point of view.

"The best example I can give you is Fernando [Alonso] last year in Abu Dhabi. Clearly he was quicker and fighting for the championship and being stuck in traffic in a normal race situation. That used to be our life that if you weren't so much quicker and not enough quicker on the right points of the track then you wouldn't pass even if you were much quicker than the guy in front of you.

"Now still you need to be quicker than the guy in front of you, otherwise you would not get close to him, but you don't need to be miles quicker and you can play with the various systems in order to make an overtaking possible."

He added: "I think it is more fair because the quickest driver should be in front, and not the one who is driving in front because of tactical reasons, although tactics are still important. All the elements they still remain the same but to me there is more justice, and it is more spectacular.

"There is fantastic fighting. I was in the middle of that in the last grand prix, I had lots of action and I have to say I enjoyed it big time."

Schumacher's view on the new rules are in contrast to Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber, who thinks that overtaking has been devalued this year.

"People talk about overtaking but the precision has gone out of overtaking," said the Australian. "It is all down to just tactics. You come up to someone like Jenson Button or Nico [Rosberg] or Fernando. These are quality drivers and they know how to fight, but they have nothing to fight back with, and it is not really... it is just going through the processes.

"I will be in that situation at some stage, when someone arrives at the back of me and you cannot really fight back. That is how it is these days, it is tactics and the racing is a lot less.

"There is more racing but, for us, it is a little bit less in terms of the wing and the tyres, but it looks like the people are happy at home with it, they are enjoying the fighting and, if that is what people are happy with, then that is good for the show."