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3 March 2004
HAMBURG – German motor racing fans see their compatriot, Michael Schumacher, as the overwhelming favourite to win the 2004 Formula One championship, but in their hearts they would like to see his brother Ralf win it, a top polling institute said.
Forsa-Institut, in a poll conducted for the private television channel Premiere, said that 78 percent of the fans regard six-times champion Michael Schumacher as the top favourite as he seeks another title for Ferrari.
Williams-BMW drivers Ralf Schumacher, at 11 percent and Colombian driver Juan-Pablo Montoya at 7 per cent, were a distant second and third in the survey of German fans’ predictions, Forsa-Institut said. Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren-Mercedes) got 3 percent.
But asked who they would like to see win the 2004 Formula One title, 54 percent would like to see Ralf as the new champion, as against 35 percent who prefer his older brother, it said. Eleven per cent of German fans were undecided on this choice.
The poll comes as the new Formula One racing season is due to get underway, with the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
DPA
Subject: German news