The F1 summer break is over and all the teams are hard at work preparing for the thirteenth round of the season in Budapest, Hungary.

The Hungaroring is a demanding one from a technical and physical point of view and the track's many curves mean that all the drivers will have trained intensively during the three week pause. Michael Schumacher has, without a doubt, spent a lot of time on his physical preparation so as not to break up the rhythm that, up until his last race, has been spellbinding.

"You should not interpret the word 'pause’'that is associated with this period of the season as meaning that nothing gets done," declared the German. "To take on the many curves of this Hungarian circuit you have to be in peak condition otherwise it tires you out straight away. This is the reason why it is important to train hard for it, and I have trained a lot.

"This time round I started a week later as I had to recover from the flu that had bugged me at Hockenheim. After I had got over it I began work again, even with Corinne and the children around. For example, we did some rafting and I also tried some indoor rock climbing. I really enjoyed it but am pleased that it is finally time to get behind the wheel once more. I am a sporty type but right now I want to do nothing other than race. I can't wait for Friday when I can drive out of the pit lane at last and then line up for another Grand Prix.

Ferrari's rivals have, obviously, not wasted any time over the summer and will be looking to reduce the gap in both championships. How has Michael reacted to the progress made by McLaren-Mercedes, for example? "I think the competition in general is always alive and our competitors will make things very difficult for us," he admits.

"As I have said before, it is a general attitude. Naturally, I cannot know if they have done anything during the break but I think that there will not be any drastic changes, though we cannot rule out the possibility that some teams may have made extreme modifications. In any case, I don't see why in Hungary we shouldn't fight for first place.

"In my opinion, Renault, BAR-Honda and McLaren-Mercedes will do well but our car is good and I will be going all out for victory."

’As a real sport lover, Michael knows that the Olympics will begin this weekend and he is looking forward to spending a few hours in front of the television. "The Olympics have always interested me and I have my fingers crossed for the German squad!" he said.