Michael Schumacher doesn’t expect Mercedes to be in a position to challenge front-runners McLaren, Red Bull or Ferrari in the remainder of the season and instead thinks the German team should focus on having a competitive car in 2011.

“We can’t keep up with our package,” Schumacher said.

“We have to concentrate on getting the car to a place where in the future we can achieve what we have failed to do this year.” The seven-time world champion lies a distant eighth in the overall standings on 38 points, a massive 119 adrift of championship leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.

Schumacher put most of the blame for his poor performances since coming out of retirement on his Mercedes car, something team boss Ross Brawn wasn’t totally in agreement with.

“The team is doing a good job but we have to get more speed out of the car,” he said.