Schumacher ready to make his Merc

MICHAEL Schumacher admits revealing Mercedes' new Formula One car gives him a special feeling. The 43-year-old German legend is preparing for the new season with testing in Barcelona. And at the launch of the W03 car, he said: "I have done quite a few roll-outs of new cars but even after all these years, I must say it still feels special. "Days like this are precious moments, as they are always filled with hope and anticipation. "Already last week, when we drove the car for the very first time, it instantly gave us good feedback and sensations. "Starting today, we will work intensively to make it a competitive runner. "For my part I am eager to fight again, I am looking forward to the new season and I can't wait for it to begin." Mercedes hope the car will finally rival the likes of Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari after two years as an also-ran. And Schumacher's team-mate Nico Rosberg is excited by the new car design. He said: "We have had a good start to our 2012 testing programme and it was a great feeling to drive the first laps in the new car. "It looks good and is very nicely packaged under the bodywork. "All the parts are in harmony, which reflects how well the different departments of our team are working together. "From the beginning of our running, we have been able to focus on understanding the car and making good progress with our test programme. "It will be very interesting to learn more about where we stand in the next few weeks."