Schumacher: “Can’t wait to be there”

Michael, it's been a long time since you last drove a racing car for several days. How did you experience this test aboard a GP2 car?
The test went very well, I can't say otherwise. We were hampered by the weather during the first two days but on the third day we were able to do a lot of things, even going so far as to simulate a race on slicks. It went better than I had expected. I felt good in the car, immediately, as if I had never strayed from the track.

Have you felt any after-effects, particularly in your neck, following your motorcycle accident last year?
The after-effects of this accident have long since disappeared, which is why I was sure that my neck would not cause me any problems. It was a year ago, it happened. Since December, I have been training physically seriously, and I now feel fresh and ready. This is one of the reasons why I felt good in the car in Jerez. But the Formula 1, This is another thing. The centrifugal force is higher, it?s not really comparable. This is why I am impatiently awaiting the February tests. Only then will my apprehension be behind me. I can not wait to be there.

Why did you choose to return for three seasons and not one, which seemed the most possible?
Because we want to do something together. The concentration of talent we have here is quite unique. With Ross (Brawn), and his world champion team; with the know-how of Mercedes, which has the best engine at the moment. We want to use all of that. We want to win the championships (manufacturers and drivers).

But didn't you tell yourself that you would never return to F1?
Yes, and I couldn't imagine it. After I retired at the end of 2006, I was very happy. I felt relieved, like liberated. I appreciated feeling that because the two seasons that preceded it demanded a lot of me. Not racing, which I have always loved, but all the things related to it, which make you live with constant pressure. It has done me the greatest good to have peace of mind over the last three years. It's as if my batteries have been recharged. I found all my energy again.