Fry defends Schumacher after latest criticism

After the opening three races of his return to formula one this year, Nick Fry has moved to defend seven time world champion Michael Schumacher.

The 41-year-old was outpaced by Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in Bahrain, Australia and Malaysia, and Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport points out that the only other driver with a full 3-0 defeat in 2010 is the rookie Russian Vitaly Petrov.

The German daily Bild’s latest headline is ’Der Schumi-Absturz’ (’the fall of Schumi’), adding that 24-year-old German Rosberg is now Mercedes’ "new number 1".

But the Brackley based team’s chief executive Fry said Schumacher is working back up to full strength.

"Every race he is learning a little bit more and it is all coming together slowly but surely, which is probably what you would expect," the Briton is quoted as saying by the Press Association.

"I would not underestimate him," added Fry.