30.03.2004 "We are all concerned ABOUT how much the sand will condition the performance of the engine" MICHAEL SCHUMACHER LOOKS FORWARD TO BAHRAIN

After a demanding week of testing in Italy, Michael Schumacher had the weekend off before catching a flight for Bahrain and the next stage of the world championship. Visiting family and friends back in Koln, the German champion reflected on the upcoming GP, the first to be held in the Persian Gulf.

Michael will be staying close to the desert in order to acclimatise before heading to Bahrain. ‘I am very curious. It is a new race on a new track and in a different climate. I like visiting new places and coming into contact with new cultures, even if we are not always able to totally understand everything about them. In any case, travel is always something that enriches the soul.’

Aside from the obvious curiosity and impatience to experience the new circuit. Michael has quite a calm approach to the race especially given the great performance in the tropical heat of Malaysia.

‘In Sepang I hoped to bring home six or maybe eight points. We knew that it would have been a difficult race and so the eventual victory was even better’. The weather forecast predicts more hot weather, though drier this time round. ‘We know it will be a hot race in Bahrain. We shouldn’t forget that it was cloudy in Malaysia and if the sun had come out, things would have been even harder’.

The fact that the Bridgestone tyres stood up to such a thorough examination also explains Michael’s relaxed state of mind. ‘The real worry in Bahrain is the sand’, explains Schumacher. ‘We are all concerned about it and how much the sand will condition the performance of the engine. I am quite confident, though.’

What are the main impressions and doubts related to racing on a new circuit? ‘Taking on a new track is always exciting, though no more than difficult than driving one that you know well. The computer simulations really do help in giving us an idea of the set up we will need. It is important to remember that every time we take to the track, we have a different set up depending on the temperature, the weather and the track surface. There are lots of factors to consider and, for this reason, a new circuit is a little harder to deal with. It will be very, very exciting though.’