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Brawn Cannot Explain Schumacher's Struggles

A wet race was always something Michael Schumacher was praying for a few years ago, when he needed a race win to get back into the title hunt. Not anymore though, as the German showed his limits during last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix, when barely scoring a 10th place at the finish line.

The German was not only outpaced by his teammate Nico Rosberg on the Chinese track – scoring his second consecutive podium for Mercedes GP – but also struggled a lot in the last part of the race, when he was passed by Vitaly Petrov and rain non-specialist Felipe Massa. At the end of the Sunday action, his very team boss Ross Brawn was baffled by Schu's struggles.

Michael's problems are difficult to understand. It's not the difficult corners, but the technically simple ones (where he is struggling). Until now he has been getting closer and closer to Nico, so what happened in China is totally against the trend,” said Brawn after the race, talking to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Additionally, Brawn admitted the German's pace is a problem and the team will look into the problem as soon as possible. Mercedes Benz' motorsport director Norbert Haug had another theory, telling the German media that a chassis flaw could be the thing that triggers Schumacher's problem these days, admitting a new W01 will be handed to Schu for the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.

Give us a chance to look at that (theory) and we can come up with a good explanation,” Haug was quoted as saying on Sunday evening, according to the GMM news agency.

After 4 races in the new season, Rosberg is placed second overall in the drivers' standings, having 50 points and 2 podiums in his tally, while Schumacher is on a distant 10th place, some 40 points behind his teammate.
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