Schumacher still has racing passion

As prepares to start his 300th grand prix event at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher has insisted he still has the same passion for racing as at the start of his career.

The seven-time champion made his debut at Spa-Francochamps in 1991 with the Jordan team and despite edging ever closer to Rubens Barrichello’s record of 326 grands prix, Schumacher said his love for Formula One is undiminished.

“I have the same passion for what I am doing, absolutely,” he said. “Formula One is the ultimate racing (series) and if you’re involved, you’re only involved because you want to do the best that you can do. Obviously we all depend on our machines, but nevertheless, within your machine you have a certain frame with which you can prove yourself and that’s the challenge. The great thing in sport is that you have immediate feedback: whether you do achieve or you don’t achieve. There’s been plenty of satisfaction that I’ve had over more than 20 years now and I still enjoy it.”

The Mercedes driver even added that he considers himself better placed to get results now than in his youth.

“I would probably think that my capacity to achieve is better, because I have a much better view and understanding, a lot more experience,” he said. “If we have problems, it takes me less to come to the point with the team in explaining those problems and that’s helpful.”

With nine races left this season, Schumacher will need to add another full season of racing in 2013 to eclipse Barrichello but the German would not be drawn on whether he will extend his career for that extra year.

“I think we made a very clear statement some time ago that by October we will be able to give an indication and nothing has changed since then, so no news I’m afraid.

“I look forward to the rest of the season,” he added. “We still have a lot to go through and a lot to improve on, a lot to understand. The team is pushing hard to go forward in order to make our process a much more reasonable step forward compared to what we have been doing. Already we have achieved quite a bit more but I think it needs a bit more of that.”