Reports - weight making Schumacher too slow?

According to the buzz in the German media after qualifying, Michael Schumacher’s struggle to keep up with his teammate in 2010 could be due to his weight.

Although believed to be back to his racing weight of 2006, the seven time world champion is reportedly 7 kilograms heavier than Nico Rosberg, despite the 24-year-old being a few centimetres taller than Schumacher.

F1 cars are all the same weight, but heavier drivers have less ballast to strategically position around their single seater.

But Schumacher’s former fitness trainer Balbir Singh told Bild newspaper that he does not recommend any further weight loss for the 41-year-old, who is "fully fit".

At lunch on Saturday, Schumacher ate a green salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, and Sport Bild reports that Schuberth has been replacing the sponsor stickers on his helmet with lighter ones.

Adrian Sutil, also one of F1’s heavier drivers, dismisses the German media theory about Schumacher’s weight.

"Seven kilograms makes only about a tenth difference," the Force India driver told Auto Bild Motorsport.

"It may sound funny, but Michael has to learn how to drive an F1 car again. Above all, the tyres are extremely sensitive. This is totally underestimated. In order to use them fully, he just needs more experience," added Sutil.