BAHRAIN - Michael Schumacher admitted on Saturday that the modern era of quickfire Formula One qualifying caught him by surprise as he claimed seventh place on the grid for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

BAHRAIN - Michael Schumacher admitted on Saturday that the modern era of quickfire Formula One qualifying caught him by surprise as he claimed seventh place on the grid for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 41-year-old, seven-time world champion, who is making his comeback after three years in retirement, was still satisfied with his performance in his Mercedes though teammate Nico Rosberg will start two places ahead.

"I didn't really find it easy to find the peak performance and speed of the car in the time available. But we are working well as a team. It is a long race and the season is even longer," said Schumacher.

"I am satisfied with seventh place having been away from Formula One for such a long time.

"By coincidence, it's the same grid position that I had when I started my career at Spa in 1991. I'm looking forward to the race and I expect even more to come." - Sapa-AFP