Schumacher keen to break McLaren's Ring of confidence

WORLD champion Michael Schumacher heads into this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix with three wins and a total of 36 drivers' championship points to his name.

Despite only finishing on the podium once in three attempts at the A1 Ring circuit, he will be looking to take his fourth win of the season and extend his lead over McLaren driver David Coulthard.

Coulthard is breathing down the German's neck - only eight points short of the lead - after being equal on points heading into the previous round in Spain.

Over the past three years the McLaren team has dominated the Austrian GP with Mika Hakkinen and Coulthard claiming one-two finishes in 1998 and 2000. They also secured front rows on the grid in 1999 and 2000.

Last year Coulthard set the A1 Ring lap record and has finished second in Austria every year since the event returned to the F1 championship in 1997. He hopes to finally go one better this year and has shown both speed and reliability in the early part of the season to back up that suggestion.

The undulating Alpine circuit has also been kind to Hakkinen in recent years, with two wins and a third from his past three starts there. The Finn's run of bad luck has to come to end sooner or later and he has vowed to not let the current situation get him down.

"When something happens like this you cannot blame yourself. You can't have a negative feeling that you are not going to win because then there is no reason to put your life on the line in a racing car," Hakkinen said.

No-one is counting Hakkinen out of this year's title just yet, least of all Schumacher, who saw the McLaren driver fight his way back from a significant points deficit to overtake him at one point during last year's championship.

The A1 Ring circuit is located high in the Styrian Mountains at Spielberg, Austria.

The 4.3km track is built on the site of the old Oesterreichring circuit and incorporates sections of the original track. It contains a series of straights punctuated by three hairpins and some high-speed sweepers, and is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar.

The schedule for the sixth round of the season is:
Saturday: Qualifying (11.55am-1.10pm)
Sunday: Race (12.30pm-3.10pm)
Race distance is 71 laps or 307.146km

DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP

1 M Schumacher (GER) 36
2 Coulthard (UK) 28
3 Barrichello (BRA) 14
4 R Schumacher (GER) 12
5 Heidfeld (UK) 8
6 Trulli (ITA) 7
=7 Frentzen (GER) 6
=7 Montoya (COL) 6
=9 Hakkinen (FIN) 4
=9 Villeneuve (CAN) 4

CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Ferrari 50
2 McLaren 32
3 Williams 18
4 Jordan 13
5 Sauber 9
6 BAR 7
7 Benetton 1