Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn says Michael Schumacher is the same driver he used to work with during the duo's stint at Ferrari.
"Yeah, pretty much. Very intense in terms of his approach," said Brawn when asked if Schumacher was the same he was at Ferrari. "Pretty close to what I remember. Obviously, he stopped because he was a little bit tired of Formula 1, but that's gone now. He's very passionate about racing again, and working very hard with Nico to improve the car. Pretty much where he left off."
Brawn and Schumacher worked together for several years at Benetton and again at Ferrari before the German driver retired at the end of the 2006. The seven-time champion is making a comeback with the Mercedes GP team, of which Brawn is now the team boss. Brawn said Schumacher is adapting perfectly to his new team, and reckons the German will be 100 percent ready soon.
"He is. You never completely know, because we're not able to try the two drivers on the same day in the same car, but I'm sure he'll find time in himself. That's natural. It's those things that he's got to start getting back into the groove. I don't think Michael will be the issue, we've got to get the car a bit better."
The team boss also admitted that Schumacher and teammate Nico Rosberg have been very evenly matched during testing.
"It looks close between the two of them. You wouldn't want to see either one dragging behind, but judging from the comparisons from the different days, they are close," Brawn noted. "But I don't think they know where they are because the track's always different. It's very difficult to make comparisons, but I think both drivers are looking competitive."