Michael Schumacher: "Now we all know the reason and now we are on the way to improve our game" © Getty Images
Michael Schumacher has admitted he is disappointed with his start to the season after scoring just 28 points from the first nine race and winding up 10th in the drivers' standings.
This time last year Schumacher had 34 points and was ninth in the title chase and speaking in Thursday's press conference at the German Grand Prix he did not try to hide is disappointment.
Yes, I am [disappointed], yeah, absolutely," he said. "I think we all expected something different, as we all remember coming to Australia, to the first race and we were very excited, having had a good winter test and then it didn't transform.
"Now we all know the reason and now we are on the way to improve our game, but as I mentioned at the beginning and have done so very often, it's a mission and the mission unfortunately doesn't always go in one line upwards.
"It's like a stock market: before it goes up, it falls down a couple of times and the general trend, what I can see in the factory, the progress that we are making in terms of the infrastructure, how the team is building up, I see very good signs that we can make it."
He said he was optimistic a new exhaust system, introduced at the British Grand Prix, combined with the change in regulations regarding off-throttle blown diffusers would help this weekend.
"It is going to be interesting but, listening to our guys in terms of upgrade and positioning where we could be, coming back to the rules as they exist right now it will be interesting to find out what does that mean to the individual teams and where that is going to move us," he said. "So lots of things to look forward to and it is going to be an exciting weekend.
Team-mate Nico Rosberg agreed that the team would make a step forward.
"For us performance wise this weekend is about consolidating our upgrade that we brought to Silverstone so there are another few bits and pieces just to make sure that is working well and so, as Michael said already, we are genuinely optimistic that we can move forward from here and that we are going to progress," he added. "That's why I hope I can put in a very good result here at home."
Schumacher admitted race wins were still some way down the road, but said he is now committed for the long-term.
"Well I don't think we are in a position yet to talk about winning races," Schumacher added. "We are on the way. We steadily improve although maybe results don't show it but if I see in terms of the organisation how we equip ourselves, how we move forward, what's the actions for the future, I am very optimistic to be quite honest. It wasn't initially a long-term project for me when I signed up but after a while I understood it is going to be and there is nothing that you can rush through. You have to progressively step up and that's what we are doing."
Credit: ESPN F1 (en.espnf1.com)
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