Blame it on the Tyres…

While Jenson Button’s tyre choice is receiving a measure of credit for the British driver’s victory in the Chinese Grand Prix, the round, black objects are being ostracised as the scapegraces of Michael Schumacher’s first Formula One comeback race. The 41-year old finished the Shanghai race in tenth position, a result the seven-time world champion would have previously considered mediocre or perhaps even agrestic. Nevertheless, Schumi and Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn are determined to address tyre and other issues so the renown driver can disport himself in the manner he is accustomed to during May’s Barcelona Grand Prix.

“Today was one of those races that you do not want to remember, just like the whole weekend really,” commented a less than ecstatic Schumacher. “It was not good for me and not good from me. You have to take it as another experience and accept it even if it is frustrating that I was not able to get my tyres together better. My strategy in that respect was not very impressive as in the last ten laps my tyres were just gone and seemed to be more slicks than intermediates. I was one of those drivers who had gone onto the last set quite early and we should have done that differently and positioned the tyres better.”

Schumacher needed to bring his car into the pits four times during the race as he managed his worn intermediate tyres. “With Michael, we clearly had a more difficult time but at least we got a point out of it,” noted Brawn. “We have some issues that we need to understand as the deterioration of his tyres and therefore his pace is a problem that we need to resolve before the next race.”

Hopefully the words of encouragement proffered by the vice president of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport will suffice to transmogrify Schumi’s post race glumness into an indefatigable confidence in his ability to once again master the championship. “It was not a good race weekend for Michael, unfortunately,” commented Norbert Haug. “We will investigate what the problems were and I am convinced we will all see much stronger results from him rather sooner than later.”