Michael Schumacher is not writing off the Formula One championship but concedes his Mercedes car is less competitive than others on the grid. The Mercedes team is eyeing the podium at the Malaysian Grand Prix Sunday but seven-time world champion Schumacher said Wednesday that “probably is the maximum we can look for at the moment.” The Mercedes is having difficulty following other cars closely, Schumacher added – and overtaking is “almost impossible unless someone makes a mistake.” “From our side we are not the most competitive car at the moment,” he said. “We are here for the best. It is a little bit difficult to position ourselves right now.” Mercedes – which won the 2009 championship as Brawn GP – has had a challenging start to the season, lagging behind the other top teams in terms of performance. It has collected 29 points from the first two races to place third in the constructors' standings after Ferrari and McLaren but Schumacher remains positive about the team's chances. “It's too early to write off the championship for now,” said Schumacher. “We still can fight for the championship.” Team principal Ross Brawn was more upbeat about achieving a podium position at the Sepang International Circuit, though the team acknowledges that the cars of Schumacher and his teammate Nico Rosberg needed to be improved. “We'd like to get on the podium this weekend... There is no reason why that shouldn't be possible,” Brawn said, adding he was hoping for rain as the two German drivers were strong in wet-weather conditions. Brawn also said it was “far too early to say how the championship is going to develop.” The team is working to improve the car's aerodynamics and mechanics to make it more competitive, Brawn said. Schumacher said the car will be upgraded by the Barcelona race in early May.
