Tuesday March 7th, 2000

Michael Schumacher says he is looking forward to a safer future with Ferrari and does not want to go down in history as a cold and calculating German determined to win at all costs.

"While you are racing, it is impossible to reveal yourself," the double Formula One world champion told the French sports daily newspaper l'Equipe ahead of Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

"Nobody knows who the real Michael Schumacher is, and this applies to other drivers.

"I would not like them to have the image of this cold German who does anything to win, even by being unsportsmanlike," he added when asked how he would like people to think of him in a few years' time.

"Because, despite everything that's happened, I don't think that's who I am. I would like people to realise that I'm as human as the rest of the world."

Schumacher has been embroiled in several controversial incidents, colliding with Briton Damon Hill in the final race of 1994 and winning his first title by a single point.

He was also stripped of overall second place after ramming Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, his title rival, in 1997.

The German starts the new season as a favourite to win the title at last for Ferrari after recovering from breaking his leg in a crash at Silverstone last year.

He said the crash had made him more aware of safety problems: "Since what happened to Ayrton Senna in 1994 in Imola, I've always felt concerned," he said.

"As for my accident, even though it did not change my priorities, in favour of my private life at the expense of my work, it taught me to see things in a different way."

Hoping For New Ferrari Era

Schumacher said that if he won the title, he hoped it would be the start of a new era of supremacy for Ferrari after years dominated by Williams and McLaren.

"I would want us to stabilise the situation...for that we need to have a constantly good car. For the past four years I have had to push myself over the limit to get results.

"If the F1-2000 and later versions are good enough, I could stay on the limit all the time, without ever having to go beyond it. So I would be more consistent and safer."

Schumacher admitted he would have been disappointed personally had his team mate Eddie Irvine beaten Mika Hakkinen for last year's title.

Irvine led the title race before the final Japanese Grand Prix but Hakkinen beat him in the end by two points to take his second successive championship.

"If it had gone his (Irvine's) way, it would not have been very satisfactory on a sports level because Hakkinen is a better driver," said Schumacher.

"For Ferrari, on the other hand, it would have been great."

Schumacher said he had a special relationship with the team, who last won the driver's crown in 1979.

"To become world champion with Ferrari...would be like a Disney tale, like a fairy tale," he said.

"That's why (Juan Manuel) Fangio's five titles or (Alain) Prost's 50 Grand Prix wins are nice challenges, of course, but they are secondary."

Schumacher said that after winning his titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995, he had never considered signing for McLaren or Williams because he needed a greater challenge.

"When I was younger, I needed to change girlfriends and fall in love again to keep my motivation. Then I met Corinna and settled down," said the driver who is married with two children.

"It's the same with Ferrari, I wanted to be part of that team and we're happy together."