Schumacher keeps eye on Germany progress

Michael Schumacher will rely on all the sophisticated equipment at his disposal today to hone his Ferrari – and keep in touch with Germany's progress in their World Cup quarter-final against the United States.

The Formula One world drivers' championship leader begins preparations for Sunday's Grand Prix of Europe here before hordes of his home supporters, who will share his interest in events in the Far East.

The match kicks off midway through the afternoon stint so Schumacher, something of a rent-a-footballer in his spare time, will miss the first half-hour. However, his crew will send him score flashes via their telemetry system on to a display in the middle of his new steering wheel.

Schumacher said: "I would obviously like to see all the match but I have things to do, certainly for the first part of it. But I will be aware of the situation because we have bi-directional telemetry. I will keep my fingers crossed while I am in the car and hope for the best. Then I will watch the rest of the match. The end is always the most important part, anyway.''

Some of Ferrari's technicians, doubtless seeking light relief following Italy's traumatic elimination, alarmed the German boffin in charge of the telemetry gizmos by telling him that Schumacher had demanded on-board television pictures. Having tormented the man to the limit they then assured him they were joking. His response has not been documented.

The champion's younger brother, Ralf, is evidently less infatuated by the beautiful game, pledging only to watch the final. By and large the normally insular fraternity of Formula One have caught the World Cup bug as badly as the rest of the human race. Practice and qualifying tomorrow have been brought forward by three-quarters of an hour to avoid a clash with the unmissable Senegal-Turkey tie.

Natives of those two countries are not so obvious as the English in the grand prix paddock. Team personnel, and the sole English driver, Jenson Button, will be seeking out TV sets before practice starts this morning. The Brazilian contingent have apparently made their own arrangements.

One of their number, the other Ferrari driver, Reubens Barrichello, has his yellow shirt ready but may wish to steer clear of his technical director, Ross Brawn. "I've warned him to watch his step,'' the large Englishman said.

Neutrals include Scotland's David Coulthard, who is well advised to be sparing in his comments on football matters but does claim to offer support to the Sassenachs hot on the heels of two man of the match performances – victory in Monaco, second place in Canada. He is intent on sustaining his suddenly viable challenge for second place in the championship and is only a point behind the Williams-BMW pair, the younger Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, who trail the Ferrari No 1 by 43 points.

Coulthard's future has been a subject of speculation recently, despite his repeated insistence that he has a contract for next season and has no intention of moving. He is now under instructions from McLaren-Mercedes' team principal, Ron Dennis, to toe the party line, which is supposed to make it clear that the team and only the team make decisions and announcements concerning their driver line-up.

Norbert Haug, the motor sport director of Mercedes, said: "We are very pleased with the performances of both David and Kimi [Raikkonen]. The time is not right to make an announcement. We will not be forced into anything, but both Ron and I feel the drivers have done a fantastic job.''

The first job for the drivers here is to negotiate a new, tight complex of corners, which replaces the old chicane. It is hoped the hairpin will provide overtaking opportunities and entertain a 50,000 gallery around the Mercedes Arena.

Sunday's race attendance is expected to be 150,000. With no football to distract Schumacher or his fans, he is optimistic at taking another step towards a fifth title.