Schumacher rules out early wins

Schumacher says Mercedes "are working hard not to be too far off"

By Sarah Holt BBC Sport at the Circuit de Catalunya

Michael Schumacher says he does not think his Mercedes team will be able to win the first race of the season.

The seven-time champion, returning after a three-year retirement, said preparations had not gone perfectly.

Asked if he could win the opening race in Bahrain on 14 March, the 41-year-old German said: "Maybe not.

"I can't make judgements on other teams but we are not perfectly in the position we would like to be, which is competitive to win straight away."

Williams driver Nico Hulkenberg set the fastest time on the second day of the final pre-season test in Barcelona, although it was Ferrari's Fernando Alonso - just 0.023 seconds behind - who impressed most with his consistent pace.

Schumacher, who was talking after his first day's running at the Barcelona test, was seventh fastest, 1.075 seconds behind the German.

From now until the first race everyone will bring updates and I think we'll know by the Friday when we get there where we are Lewis Hamilton

Although it is notoriously difficult to judge form from pre-season testing, it is generally accepted within F1 that Mercedes have so far looked the least impressive of the top four teams - themselves, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull - and Ferrari the most.

Schumacher said there was "much more to come" from Mercedes both at the test and for Bahrain.

Mercedes are not planning to run their car in definitive Bahrain specification at this week's test at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Instead, they will bring a major aerodynamic upgrade to the first race.

Schumacher said: "The season is long. We're working hard not to be too far off but it is difficult to judge the real picture right now."

He added he was pleased with the way he had integrated with the team, which took Jenson Button to the drivers' title and won the constructors' championship last year in its previous guise as Brawn.

"We are working very well together," Schumacher said. "It has taken very little time to get on with everyone. It is a professional atmosphere and we must prove it on the track."

While Schumacher's former team Ferrari have impressed rival teams with their pace in testing, Mercedes have been a low-key presence.

606: DEBATE What makes this season potentially fun is that there is a real chance that the championship winner will not be the fastest car, but the one that finds the best balance over the course of a race between pace, tyre wear, fuel economy and handling. Stargazer

The same, to a lesser extent, goes for McLaren, to where Button has moved as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton.

Button and Hamilton are alternating in the car this week, with Button driving on Thursday and Saturday and Hamilton on Friday and Sunday.

That gives both men the chance to try out a major upgrade package that will be fitted to the car on Saturday and which will be pretty much how it will race in Bahrain.

Hamilton said he was confident McLaren would have a better start to the season than last year, when they turned up at the first race with a car that was more than two seconds off the pace.

"We're in a much stronger position than last year," Hamilton said.

"It feels all new, light years ahead of last year, but we still have a lot of work to do.

"It seems like Red Bull are quick, clearly some teams are very fast. We still feel we have work to do.

"Hopefully Saturday will be better and Sunday better than that.

"It's so hard to tell (if we can win in Bahrain). I've not been out on the same fuel loads as other people.

"From now until the first race everyone will bring updates and I think we'll know by the Friday when we get there where we are."

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