06.04.2004 'I can understand how this race could have seemed all too easy from the outside' MICHAEL SCHUMACHER REFLECTS ON HIS VICTORY IN BAHRAIN

A last drag on the cigar before heading back to the hotel, Michael Schumacher and Ferrari could not have made a better debut at the Bahrain GP.

The current world champion could not hide his satisfaction and tried to explain how the first Middle Eastern GP was anything but a stroll.

‘I can understand how this race could have seemed all too easy from the outside, but let me say that we had to concentrate really hard because the brakes and tyres were at their limit.’

A few minutes before he was due to leave, at around midnight and with the plane already waiting on the runway, Michael continued to emphasise the importance of the car’s set up.

‘We have to take into account that the correct racing line, a fast one here, was difficult to maintain. It was enough to get it wrong by a tiny degree, and when I say tiny I mean as little as a centimetre, to be slowed down considerably and with serious consequences for the car.

'In these conditions the smallest error did not only slow you down but it meant extra stress on the tyres and the brakes. Undoubtedly, the result shows that we managed to keep potential dangers under control but I can say that we really were on a razor’s edge at times.’ So, a risky race but one that ended well.

‘Well, to make a comparison…let’s see…well, last year in Canada we took some risks but it would be wrong to say that winning in Sakhir was a walk in the park.’

Michael will make a stop in Switzerland to recharge his batteries before making a trip to Dublin tomorrow. In the presence of FIA president, Max Mosley, he will be present at the underwriting of the European Road Safety Charter, a theme that the world champ has always considered extremely important. ‘It is important for all of us’, he stated on the flight home. ‘Road safety concerns everybody and I am proud to contribute to this charter.’ So speed is only okay on the track!

On Thursday, Michael will be back with the team in Barcelona for one of the two test days on the Catalan circuit.