Michael Schumacher spent a quiet weekend preparing for the upcoming intense and interesting home race in Germany. The event has traditionally been one that motivates Michael and other German drivers to the full. Ferrari seems in perfect shape and the last two wins have increased the team's desire to reclaim the title.

"I don't think that I have to state how charged up we are", declared the seven-time world champion. "I believe that it is clear for all to see. I can sense the same thing from the team. Our competitive spirit has been reawakened and we want the title".

Seventeen points separate Michael from current champion Fernando Alonso and the gap seems a difficult one to bridge. The Ferrari driver feels that victory in the championship will not come around through focusing only the team's strengths. "I see things differently", he underlined. "Things can change quickly in Formula 1 and this means that even a big lead can suddenly vanish. We are all focused on our objective: to put pressure on our adversaries, make up ground and win again. If we can do this, things can change. Perhaps we can also reopen the title race and make the championship interesting again".

The German tested for two days at Le Castellet in the south of France. The tests enabled the team to select the tyres and set up for the next few races. "We are working well. We should do well at Hockenheim even though we have seen that performances can vary greatly depending on the details. We can only be sure of one thing: we will be giving our all. We want to leave Hockenheim as winners".

Tomorrow Michael will participate in a Vodafone event at Maranello and, on Wednesday, he will be at the Carl Benz stadium in Mannheim for the traditional charity football match. The proceeds from the game will be donated to Unesco. "I hope that as many fans as possible turn out and I hope that it will be an unforgettable experience", concluded the Ferrari driver. "Two well matched teams will be turning out. There will be fantastic players there as well as actors and other sports stars. I cannot wait for the whistle to blow. It will be a great occasion."