Saturday March 2nd, 2002

Williams driver Ralf Schumacher is hoping Michelin have made improvements on last year's wet weather tyre as he prepares for a possible rain-hit race in Melbourne on Sunday.

The Albert Park track has been damp at times during both days of running so far, and with rain a possibility for the race Schumacher believes the French rubber manufacturers could play a crucial part.

"We have had our difficulties in the rain last year but Michelin have improved that," he said. "To what extent, we will find out tomorrow if it rains."

Teams have been conducting wet weather tyre testing for suppliers Michelin and Bridgestone as part of their pre-season programmes, and with bad weather hitting Barcelona testing throughout the two-month period, both manufacturers will be well prepared.

But Schumacher believes he has his car ready for all conditions, and he added: "For the dry, our car is very well balanced. It looks promising because we were a lot further away yesterday than we were today."

Published at 08:33:53 GMT