Michael Schumacher has admitted his frustration with his Mercedes WO1 car, confirming that it is not "in harmony" with its tyres.

The German, who is known for not publicly criticizing his teams or their cars, made the claim in an interview for his long standing personal sponsor DVAG.

"Looking at the points table then of course we cannot be satisfied," he said. "But there are reasons why the deficit is so great. This is the car that was put into our hands. It is a remnant of what was created last year. As a result there are many compromises that the driver has to deal with. The car is not at all in harmony with the tyres, or also with us as the drivers."

The seven-time champion then repeated earlier claims that he and his team are now focussing on next season. "We have to ensure that the (new) car blends correctly with the drivers, and we are on the right track to be competitive in 2011,"he said. "We are working harder than ever so that we can go for the titles."

Schumacher's admission comes hot on the heels of (teammate) Nico Rosberg's claim that this season has been a "disaster". Speaking to the Cologne Express last month, the German admitted that he fears for the remainder of the season, claiming that the main problem with the W01 is its failure to get its tyres up to optimum temperature over a single lap.

"It's a disaster," he said. "The problem with the tyres is well known to the team. For weeks we have said we are closing in on the front, but nothing happens, in fact we go backwards.

"If you're twelfth, behind both Williams, who two weeks ago were nowhere, what do you expect?" he added. "I went from Williams to Mercedes because I thought I would have a winning car."

It's a known fact that, like its predecessors from Brackley, the Mercedes W01 has a problem with its Bridgestone boots. Next season, in addition to hoping that Mercedes can provide a car better suited to his style, Schumacher will be hoping that Pirelli can provide tyres better suited to the cars produced in Brackley.