**Michael Schumacher says he intends to crown his Formula 1 comeback by challenging for the 2010 title.**The seven-time champion announced his return for 2010 on Wednesday with Mercedes, the renamed Brawn GP team.
Despite three years out of the sport, he insists he can threaten the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button - the 2008 and 2009 world champions.
“I have won the title seven times and the team won both titles last year, so what do you expect,” said the German.
Schumacher, who turns 41 on 3 January, added: "Now Mercedes are team owners you cannot expect anything else other than the world title. That is what we aim for but we have to deliver and that is our job.
“Honestly I can’t wait until 1 February when we will officially run the car.”
Schumacher retired in 2006 after competing in 250 grands prix, 180 of them for Ferrari and he won 91 races, 71 for Ferrari, on his way to his multiple world titles.
Although he enjoyed plenty of success over his career, Schumacher also had moments of controversy including at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide where Damon Hill was forced to retire, which handed Schumacher his first world title.
Then in 1997 he collided with Jacques Villeneuve with the world title up for grabs, a move which saw him punished by the FIA, the sport’s ruling body.
Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, who will make his debut with Virgin Racing next season, has seen Schumacher’s will to win at first hand after losing to him in a recent karting event in Brazil.
“He’s the most competitive guy that I know,” Di Grassi said recently. “Everybody I know goes there [to the karting event] to have a good time and enjoy it and have fun. Michael goes there and spends two hours making a seat one millimetre higher.”
Williams driver Rubens Barrichello, who drove with Schumacher at Ferrari, suggested the German driver’s track record was the key to Mercedes’ decision to lure him out of retirement.
“Experience is all that matters in F1 now,” former Brawn driver Barrichello wrote on his Twitter feed. “The team needed me last year and needs Schumi now. I hope for a great fight, but a clean one as well.”
However BBC analyst Martin Brundle believes his former team-mate from his Benetton days will have to work hard on his return to the sport.
“Michael says he has charged his batteries on his break but I think he will need a couple of extra long life ones in his pocket,” he said.
"The last two championships he contested, Fernando Alonso won both and he hasn’t slowed down since then.
"There are drivers like Button, Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel on the scene now and Michael is going to have to pedal very hard to beat those guys.
“I wouldn’t bet against him winning some races, or even the championship, but he will have his work cut out.”