Close races 'very exciting' - Schumacher

[DexteR]

Michael Schumacher says the close nature of the field has made Formula One "very exciting" in 2012.

After overtaking became extremely difficult and races tended to be decided in the pit lane, changes such as the DRS and Pirelli tyres were brought in to encourage more passing. While it worked last season, the field is much closer this year which has led to closely fought qualifying sessions and races.

Having been so dominant during his Ferrari years in the early 2000's, Schumacher admitted that he is enjoying the new style of racing even if it "can be frustrating" at times.

"I think it is very exciting," Schumacher is quoted by Autosport. "If you don't manage to get everything right you are stuck behind people and you can't get through, which can be frustrating. That does make it exciting. It's fun if you see the side we had in Shanghai, not the side we had in Malaysia. Not hitting it spot on means you can be first or 10th. Take Sebastian [Vettel] in China, out in Q2. This is what we have to live with."

Schumacher also said that the tight field meant that factors such as track characteristics and setup differences had a much more pronounced effect this year.

"Everything is so tight. If you imagine every race weekend we start with a puzzle with a thousand pieces, and you have to put them together in the best way. It is possible to get the puzzle together, maybe not always spot on. But then it is a question of each track with its different characters. Will your car fit with these? This is another point as well as getting it right or wrong. We have to see. Bahrain will be very different, very hot temperatures, which is to be expected. But what does that mean [for the competitive order]?"

[sheem]

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