Far from retiring at the end of the current season, Michael Schumacher is targeting the 2011 world championship title.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's event, the German, who has had a difficult return to F1 after three years in retirement, dismissed his critics, explaining why he feels he's been struggling and how things will improve next season.

Asked if he is happy with his performance thus far, Schumacher told reporters: "No, perfectly happy with my own performance is probably wrong to say. But put it this way. Yes, there is an expectation out there which I think you have to be realistic that it is impossible to meet. I am away three years and just to come back and start exactly where I finished with maybe a car that doesn't allow me to right now is probably unrealistic.

"I am not a magician either," he continued. "It just needs time. I take that time. I enjoy most of all this process. There were some set-backs and moments where you would, obviously, be a little bit angry. But, in general, that is what it is about. There are ups and downs and that is the excitement of motor sport. I know the final target where I want to go and I am very confident I can achieve this. That is what I am working for and what I am focussing on. There is the sportive side and there is the entertainment side of this whole circus. You just have to accept and see it is just part of that situation and do not bother too much about it."

It's a known fact that, like its predecessors from Brackley, the Mercedes W01 has a problem with its Bridgestone boots. This weekend, the Japanese company is providing two very different compounds, hard and super-soft. Asked if this concerns him, the German replied: "No, not really. I think we actually have much more of a problem with inconsistent behaviour on the same compound.

"As a clear example," he continued, "in some of the races, I go out with the same tyre and suddenly I'm half a second quicker or half a second slower and I've done nothing differently, but the result is there and it's not happened only to us, it's happening up and down the pit lane every so often and it's a little bit difficult to understand."

When asked if he will definitely be on the grid next season the answer was a resounding "yes". When asked his target, he replied: "It's what I mentioned the day that I officially publicised that I was rejoining Formula One and it is to win another title, that's our aim, that's what my focus is and that's what I'm here for. Very clearly."