After three years on the sidelines. Michael Schumacher is looking forward to returning to the Melbourne Park grid next month as a racer and not an adviser. The seven time Formula One champion has never tried to hide his love of Australia and its people and now he can’t wait for the second round of the season to arrive....

“First of all I look forward to coming back to Australia to meet a couple of friends, especially Mick (Doohan) and the family and have a good time with him. And then just enjoy the country because it’s always lovely to be there. Last year I was there obviously in my advisor role and this year coming back as a race driver, so it will be interesting.”

After racing and winning here for Ferrari on numerous occasions, this time Schumacher will return in totally different colours as he races for the new Mercedes Grand Prix team in their official debut season....

“A new team, with my old friend Ross (Brawn), working together with him, riding in a Mercedes car, it’s a good combination that causes great excitement. It’s a German squad that obviously likes to compete against the Italian (and) English teams.”

The team raced here, and won, last year under the Brawn Grand Prix banner and Schumacher will be hoping for a repeat in 2010....