Motor Sport: Michael Schumacher has surprised himself following his return to Formula One this week. For the second successive day, Schumacher topped the unofficial timesheets in testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.
The seven-times world champion conceded to being nervous when he stepped back inside the cockpit of the Ferrari yesterday, just over a year after retiring.
But such feelings soon disappeared once he was back on track, with his involvement this week merely to help with the development of next year's car.
With driver aids banned for 2008, the 38-year-old Schumacher knows how a car should feel without traction control.
Clearly his experience is proving invaluable to Ferrari who noted Schumacher's best of his 90 laps today as one minute 21.489 seconds, while elsewhere it was recorded as a remarkable 1:19.603.
With the former time more likely, Schumacher finished 0.4secs clear of McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa.
"Being out for so long raised some question marks for me," said Schumacher. "Of course now, it's good to see I'm still able to do it. It was great fun and I really like it a lot. I'm really happy about the way I'm able to run because this is good enough to help the team.
"It took me a bit of time at first, maybe two laps, and then I was back into the groove. I have to say I surprised myself I was so quickly on it again."
When asked how he first felt, Schumacher replied: "Nervous, a bit nervous. It was probably a bit like being a little kid. I felt like I did when I was 18 again, but being out on the track is still a very good feeling."
Schumacher has already dismissed the notion of a permanent return, although his times are likely to raise a few eyebrows prompting the possibility of an offer coming his way.
But he said: "I don't think (so). There's nothing free at the moment."
That is not strictly true as there is a vacancy at bitter rivals McLaren, while Toyota are also searching for a replacement in the wake of his brother Ralf's departure.