Sutil: long-term deal a big help

The Japanese F3 champion, who will race alongside Christijan Albers in 2007, thinks that his long-term security ensures there is no early pressure - which could have led to accidents if he pushed too hard, too soon - to keep his seat.

"We were always looking for a longer-term contract for the future in F1," he told autosport.com about the importance of the length of his deal. "Now, I have my time, I can learn a lot and I don't need to push straight away and be afraid to lose this seat.

"I am in a good position and really good for the next few years to be sure in the team. I can work really well with them and do everything that we can to move forward."

Sutil is genuinely excited about the chance to race for Spyker, and believes that the arrival of new team management last year has resulted in firing-up the team's staff for next year.

"The team has a new designer with Mike Gascoyne and he is a really good one," said Sutil. "So everything is going in the right direction. We have Ferrari engines, and the team have much better people behind them, so it is a more serious team.

"Last year, with Mr. Shnaider in charge, people had their own thoughts and were not so convinced. Now they are working hard and want to have success. Everyone at Spyker now has pure passion and they love the sport, so it feels really good to be there now."

And as a German driver entering the sport after Michael Schumacher's retirement, Sutil insists that he does not feel any more expectations on him to deliver results quickly.

"I feel no pressure," he explained. "I always try to do my best, and in the end to maybe be successful and to win - this is what everybody wants.

"For sure everybody is watching who is the next Schumacher, but everybody tries to give his best and in the end there will be best - if it is a German driver or not we don't know. I will try to be the next Schumacher for sure."