Motorsport: Schumacher needs a win to silence critics

BUDAPEST - Formula One motor-racing roars back into action this weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with five-time world champion Michael Schumacher desperate to silence the critics.

The Ferrari driver has come under increasing pressure and as the championship headed into a brief summer break three weeks ago, his title lead was cut to just six points.

Juan Pablo Montoya, driving for Williams, has claimed podium finishes in each of the last six races.

The four-race run-in to the end of the season promises to be a tense affair.

Schumacher, without a victory in more than two months, is confident he can take the chequered flag at the Hungaroring and end doubts about Ferrari's performance.

"We are conscious of the situation in the world championship and we will do our best to fight for the victory in Budapest," said Schumacher, who has won the last three drivers' titles and helped Ferrari to lift four consecutive constructors' crowns.

"After the short break I feel extremely fresh and thirsty, and can hardly wait to get back in the car again.

"Although we do have much development on the car to do because of the test break, we can still go to Hungary with confidence."

Montoya continues to play down his title prospects and is taking things one race at a time.

"I am not interested in talking about championships because the only way these are won is by concentrating on each race as it comes, and that is where my focus lies at the moment," the Colombian said.

"We haven't performed very well in Hungary recently, but our car is much-improved this year, so I am sure it will suit the Hungaroring much better."

Montoya's team-mate, Ralf Schumacher, heads into the race US$50,000 ($86,000) worse off after being fined for his part in the opening-lap crash in the German Grand Prix three weeks ago.

He lost his appeal against being blamed for the crash, but was fined instead of losing 10-grid positions for tomorrow's race.

McLaren drivers Kimi Raikkonen, now third in the drivers' race nine points behind Michael Schumacher, and David Coulthard will bid for podiums to reduce the deficit on Ferrari.

Briton Justin Wilson and Nicolas Kiesa will make their second starts for Jaguar and Minardi respectively, after enduring difficult debuts for the teams in the German race.

The Jordan team, meanwhile, will return to the track in a positive frame of mind, despite ending the German Grand Prix weekend with a hefty legal bill after withdrawing their High Court claim against Vodafone.

The British team, who won the Brazilian Grand Prix through Giancarlo Fisichella in April, will try to overcome the financial setback with points in Hungary.

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Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve says Formula One would be far safer if wing mirrors were banned.

The Canadian also told Autosport magazine that he would like to see a return to slick tyres and the abolition of refuelling.

"I'm serious," the BAR driver said. "If you don't have mirrors, you cannot block.

"If you're following someone and he doesn't have mirrors, you know he hasn't seen you, so you know he will turn into the corner.

"In a race situation, it would be 10 times safer without mirrors. You just mind your own business, like the motorbike guys."

Villeneuve said mirrors were safer on a road car, but Formula One drivers used them to help to block rivals.

Asked whether he had raised the idea, the 1997 world champion replied: "Yeah - and everybody just laughs, of course. But if you think about it, it makes sense."

The magazine made clear that Villeneuve's comments were made on the eve of the German Grand Prix, which was marred by the collision between Ralf Schumacher, Raikkonen and Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello.

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New Zealand driver Scott Dixon returns to the scene of his American breakthrough for this weekend's round of the Indy Racing League.

Two years ago, Dixon won at the Lehigh Valley Grand Prix at Nazareth, Pennsylvania in just his third start in the Championship Auto Racing Teams circuit. Then 20, he became the youngest driver to win a Cart race.

He lies third overall in the IRL, just 12 points off the lead after his second placing in the Kentucky 300 last weekend.

"Nazareth has always been a special place for me," Dixon said yesterday. "You always remember the big wins in your career and Nazareth was one of those."

Dixon has 373 points, behind leader Tony Kanaan on 385 and fellow Brazilian Helio Castroneves on 377, with four races to go before the championship ends on October 12.

"We're right there in the points race, but I think we'll need a couple of wins in the last four races to have a shot at it," Dixon said.

"The guys that I'm fighting with are all very strong competitors and it's going to come down to the last race in Texas."

Dixon will be confident about qualifying well for tomorrow. He has qualified in the top-six in 11 straight races, including four pole positions and two second-place starts.

- AGENCIES