Indianapolis, Sept 24: Michael Schumacher has warned his title rivals that Ferrari will "show their fighting spirit" at this weekend's United States Grand Prix. Schumacher leads the drivers' championship by three points after winning on Ferrari's home ground at Monza last time out but, with only two races remaining, he cannot afford any slip-ups at Indianapolis.
Juan Pablo Montoya, who is second in the title race, is expected to have an advantage on the American circuit with his Williams tipped to be stronger than Schumacher's Ferrari. But Schumacher challenges that theory, and insists he approaches the penultimate race of the season in confident mood. He said: "We are geared up for Indianapolis. A lot of people say that it is a track that is more adapted to BMW-Williams but we can't say that we agree.

"The same thing was said about Monza but, after a tough fight, we won out. This means two things, predictions based on performances of years gone by are no longer reliable and that every tiny error can have serious consequences.



"Whoever is able to exploit the resources during the weekend will come out on top. The competition is so tight that crossing the line first could depend on each day's results.



"It is a great challenge that we take on without fear and the other teams will do the same.



"The success at Monza has motivated us even more, but we know we are in a battle and we will not make the mistake of resting on our laurels.



"We are talking about sport, and in sport you can never plan anything down to the finest detail. In any case, we are very well prepared and will show our fighting spirit once again at Indianapolis."


Bureau Report