World champion Michael Schu-macher shrugged off suggestions he was under pressure on Thur-sday and presented himself instead as the hard man of Formula One.
Without a podium from two races this year, Ferrari's five times world champion said he could handle the heat after his worst ever start to a season.
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That's my thinking," the German told a news conference before Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.
"At the moment things are going a little bit tougher and we become stronger," he said. "I'm not worried for what has happened.
"I know what did happen, I feel that as long as you can analyse it and understand it then you can still look ahead and we do look ahead," he said.
"The first two races are not too good. Still, we got eight points out of these not very good races for us and our time will come again."
Schumacher finished fourth in the season-opening in Australia after Ferrari made a poor tyre choice and had only himself to blame in Malaysia for a first lap collision.
The incident, in which he hit the rear of Jarno Trulli's Renault, left Schumacher sixth in the race and also sixth in the championship.
Australia was the first time since September 2000 that Schumacher had relinquished the championship lead and the first time since September 2001 he had finished off the podium.
"It will be a much tougher season, a much tighter competition and that's what we face," said the German.
Schumacher suggested that pressure was a double-edged sword and deflected claims from rivals such as McLaren's David Coulthard that he made more mistakes when under stress.
"I have the reputation of being great under pressure and I have the reputation of doing mistakes under pressure. So, take the one you like," he said.
The German said there had been no particular inquest at Ferrari after the disappointing first two races.
"We analyse and discuss all the races to be prepared for the next," he said. "But it was very clear what happened to us in the first two races and there was no need to get together particularly to change our strategy or our approach."
The opening races, rich in drama and surprise after rule changes, have been credited with reviving Formula One after a year of Ferrari domination when the Italian team won 15 of the 17 races last year.
Schumacher disagreed with the premise advocated by many fans last year that the sport had either become boring or was somehow in need of saving.
"In sport, not only in Formula One, there has always been certain kinds of dominance from either a tennis player or a team or whatever," he said.
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
RSS