Schumacher May be Back at Spa; Testing at Mugello


Friday August 20th, 1999

Michael Schumacher said today might be back to racing in next week's Belgian Grand Prix. On the final day of testing for Scuderia Ferrari-Marlboro at the Mugello circuit, Schumacher's testing went smoothly with a series of runs of about five laps each, followed by one 20 lap run. Overall, the German ran 65 laps, with a best time of 1:28.379, slightly faster than Eddie Irvine's 1:28.648 from 59 laps. Mika Salo did just one shake-down lap in car 194. Eddie Irvine continued his programme of working on set-up and adjustments in preparation for the forthcoming Belgian Grand Prix.

Jean Todt: "It was great to have the whole group together, with Eddie and Mika when Michael arrived. I had expected Michael to only do a handful of laps, but in the end, he managed to do a whole day's testing. The two drivers worked on different programmes, with Eddie preparing for the Belgian Grand Prix and Michael reacquainting himself with the car in race trim. I had thought Michael could be back for Monza. We will see how he feels after this test and make a decision after a further medical examination. Tomorrow, at Fiorano, Mika Salo will shake down the three cars to be used in next week's Belgian Grand Prix."

Eddie Irvine: "I worked mainly in preparation for the race at Spa. Today, I concentrated on brakes, which still give me a few problems to adjust correctly. I did all my laps today in race trim."

Michael Schumacher: "Above all, I want to thank all the Ferrari fans. Today, I was very happy with the reception I got from the team and it was great to see my friends again. It was like coming home after a too long holiday. Almost straight away I felt comfortable with the car, although it took me a short while to adapt to the change of balance of the car. I did around sixty laps without any problems. Over the bumps, my right leg hurt a bit, but it had no effect on my performance. Over the next few days, I will see how I feel and after a further medical check, I will decide along with the team if I can make my comeback at Monza or earlier."


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