Schumacher says not returning to retirement
"Naturally if we knew exactly all the situation we would simply stop and change it. It is a process. And if you think in my first activity with Benetton it took me about four years to build up and finally win a Championship, in Ferrari it took me five years and I hope we are much more efficient here.
"It is a process of getting things together with the engineer, working very closely and setting up as much as possible to our needs. We are more limited, we have tires that are given and a car that has a certain characteristic and certainly in a way I do feel that the harmony between these two components and myself is not yet given. We are working to make it in harmony.
"It is a process of still growing together, setting up and creating the structure to be ready for next year. Not only in the factory in developing of the car but from the team side, increasing the number of ideas and whenever you go out, even with a car that hasn't developed, you still learn.
"It is a bit more tough because you are competing for not winning races but as we see in Monza, we did quite a reasonable job from my point of view and I guess we can have a few more reasonable results this year."
09/23/10 (GMM) Michael Schumacher on Thursday swiftly dismissed rumors he is considering returning to retirement at the end of the 2010 season.
Given the seven time world champion's disappointing return to formula one this year, the latest rumors had been spurred on by Eddie Jordan, who said he sensed a flurry of paddock activity at Monza relating to a race cockpit possibly opening up at Mercedes.
But 41-year-old Schumacher's spokeswoman Sabine Kehm dismissed that speculation, and the German driver was asked personally about the rumors in the flood lit Singapore paddock on Thursday night.
"You won't get rid of me that easily!" he jokingly hit back at the local Asian reporter's question, according to the German news agency SID.
Indeed, he said the Brackley based team has now completely switched its focus to 2011, and that he has been involved in "every detail" of the W01 car's successor.
"The focus of the 2011 car is now 100 per cent," said the record winner of 91 grands prix. "There will be no more development steps with the 2010 car, even if I think some good results are possible," revealed Schumacher.
He is already signed up for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
"Our goal is the world championship — and the sooner the better," said the former Ferrari driver.
"But we are in a process; we are not magicians," added Schumacher. "But we have already started our process, while the teams fighting for the (2010) world are somewhat further behind.
"We are hoping for a small head start for 2011," he said.