Mercedes GP CEO Nick Fry has said that watching Michael Schumacher “evolve” is a fascinating experience.
The Englishman felt compelled today to defend his star driver after widespread criticism of his driving during the Canadian GP, and questions over his continued participation.
But Fry said Schumacher was developing more confidence as he progressed along a learning curve.
“Michael has continued to improve and it’s been a fascinating experience inside the team to see the evolution of Michael,” he told Reuters.
“Obviously he was a bit rusty when he started at the beginning of the year and every race he grows in confidence.
“The nice thing is how well he’s fitted into the team. I think we’ve got a very harmonious team attitude and approach and he’s contributing towards that. The guys absolutely love him and I’m optimistic for the future.”
Fry also rebutted the invective directed at Schumacher from pundits like Martin Brundle, who said during the BBC feed of the Canadian race that Schumacher’s driving had been “appalling.”
“The drivers I think have both done an excellent job despite what I understand has been said about Michael,” Fry stated.
“It’s not something I or any of us would subscribe to. He’s been an absolutely fantastic team member, he and Nico (Rosberg) work very closely together, he pushes the team very hard and he’s a great influence on the team.
“We thought he drove a pretty good race (in Montreal) and I was somewhat surprised to hear that he got a bit of a pasting because that certainly wasn’t our view.”
