Motorsport: Schumacher confident of conquering Albert Park

Michael Schumacher has won four times at Melbourne’s Albert Park. Photo / Getty Images

MELBOURNE - Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is confident his Formula One comeback can gather speed in Australia on a track he rates as one of his favourites.

Schumacher returned to F1 after a three-year break with an impressive sixth in the season-opening Bahrain GP for Mercedes.

No driver has ever been more successful at Albert Park - Schumacher winning four Australian GPs around the Melbourne circuit.

"Australia has always been one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar and this has never changed for me in all my years of competing," Schumacher told England's Daily Mirror newspaper.

"I arrived on the continent quite early and have spent some nice days training, adapting and relaxing in order to be fit and rested for the race weekend.

"I have a lot of good memories from Melbourne. I am sure that Melbourne will help me to get into the rhythm even more and I am looking forward to it."

Former world champion Niki Lauda believes Schumacher will benefit hugely from this weekend's GP in Melbourne, and could well be championship competitive by the time of the season's third race in Malaysia.

"It was a perfect performance," Lauda told the official Formula One website.

"You can hardly start any better.

"He ran very little over the winter, due to test restrictions, and got into a modified car he had never driven before, so it was simply impossible for him to clock a qualification lap at the push of a button.

"I'd suppose he needs about three races to get back up to the same level he was at.

"My guess is that in Kuala Lumpur he will have regained that ability to switch on for a fast lap that every permanent driver has to have."

Lauda, a three-time world champion, has set the blueprint for what Schumacher is trying to achieve.

The Austrian great won his last title in 1984 after making a comeback from a two-year retirement.

Schumacher holds nearly every record worth holding in F1 and would further extend his legend should he win an eighth drivers' championship.

The German believes his break from the sport has renewed his focus despite having changed markedly since he first stepped away.

"It did me good to get out. But now my energy is back. It's time to start this whole thing up again," Schumacher said.

- AAP