We want to win the championships - Schumacher

After a successful test session in a GP2 car last week, seven time World Champion Michael Schumacher, who will make his comeback to the pinnacle of motorsport with Mercedes GP this season, said that he will be fighting for both titles in 2010.

Michael, since a long time you were driving a race car over several days. A GP2 car is at least coming close to a F1 car. How was it? "The test was super, I can't tell differently. We have been handicapped a bit because of the weather in the first two days but on the third day we could do a lot and even simulate a race on slicks. It went better than I had expected. I immediately felt well in the car, it was as if I never was gone."

Did you have after-effects, especially at the neck, after the motorbike accident last year? "The after-effects of that accident are gone since long, that's why I was sure that the neck would not cause any problems. This was one year ago, that's over. No, I am practising since December physically very carefully and feel extremely fresh and fit. That was one of the reasons why I felt so good in the car in Jerez. But then, Formula 1 is another thing, the g-forces are higher, that's not really comparable. That is why I look forward so much to testing in February. Only then the old feeling will be completely back. I can't wait to be back there."

Many people had thought you'd come back in the cockpit for only 1 year but you went for 3 years. Why? "Because we want to achieve something together. The constellation we have here is pretty unique - with Ross and his world championship winning team, with the KnowHow of Mercedes, with the best engine at the moment -, and we want to use that. We have a clear aim: we want to win the championships. That's what we will fight for from the beginning. That is my personal standard too."

But haven't you said repeatedly you could not imagine coming back into F1 anymore at all? "Yes, and I couldn't. After my retirement at the end of 2006 I was very happy, I felt relieved, just like freed. I enjoyed that feeling because especially in the last 2 years F1 had demanded a great deal from me - not the racing, that I loved during all the time, but all those things which relate to living under constant observation. It did me extremely well to be quiet for those 3 years. It really is as if my batteries were fully loaded. My energy is back completely. I really notice how the prickle is coming, how motivated I am because I so much look forward to this competition. It is about time to start this whole thing."