Schumacher: I'm ready to go

'Physically, I have been working out since December and I feel fresh and fit,' says Schumacher (Getty Images)

A rejuvenated Michael Schumacher is itching to get behind the wheel of a Formula One car again, he said yesterday.

"After my retirement at the end of 2006 I was very happy," he said. "I felt relieved, freed. It served me extremely well to be quiet for those three years. It really is as if my batteries are fully loaded. I can notice how the prickle is returning, and how motivated I am because I am so much looking forward to this competition. Physically, I have been working out since December and I feel fresh and fit. That was one of the reasons why I felt so good in the car in Jerez [during GP2 testing]. The test was super. It went better than I had expected. But then Formula One is another thing. That is why I am so looking forward to testing in February. I can't wait."