Fiorano, June 25: Michael Schumacher is hoping that home advantage will help drive his Ferrari to victory in the European Grand Prix at Nuerburgring. The German believes that home advantage in Hockenheim and Nuerburgring, and Ferrari's support in Monza and Imola, will give help him in his bid to retain the Formula One drivers championship. The championship is set to go down to the wire with McLaren and Williams likely to win again before the title is decided, according to Schumacher. Ferrari's five times world champion told his team's website on Monday (June 23) that the first half of the season, with five different winners in eight races, had shown how hard it was to make predictions. "It seems that the pecking order varies from circuit to circuit, with the result depending each time on the track layout," said the German, whose next race is on Sunday (June 28) at the Nuerburgring circuit near his birthplace.


"I think that trend will continue in the second half of the season. We will continue to win races, but so will McLaren and Williams."


Schumacher has won four of the last five races, after making the worst start to a season in his career, and leads McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen by three points.


McLaren, who have yet to bring out their new car, won the first two races of the season while Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya gave Williams a win in Monaco and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella was triumphant in Brazil for Jordan.


Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello won at the Nuerburgring last year and Schumacher expects the team to do well again.


Bureau Report