Before this year's F1 season began it was clear that Michael Schumacher would either be back to his old self of winning back-to-back races or he would be well off the pace. Over half way through the season it is clear that the upshot is more a case of the latter than the former and whilst it is too early to write an epitaph to his F1 return, the sport's boss Bernie Ecclestone is already pointing the finger of blame.

"If Schumacher doesn't perform I doubt whether he will want to stay," says Ecclestone adding "I don't think it was a mistake for him to come back. He is obviously fit, motivated and talented. The car hasn't been up to Michael."

It may be true that the Mercedes is way off the pace of frontrunners such as Red Bull and McLaren but this disadvantage doesn't seem to hamper Schumacher's team-mate Nico Rosberg who has well over double his points tally. Nevertheless, as last weekend's events in Silverstone showed, simply because two drivers race for the same team, this doesn't mean to say that they have the same cars.

Ecclestone still tips fourth placed Sebastian Vettel to win the championship and says "I have always said Sebastian [would win]." He believes that Red Bull Racing "deserve to win," because the energy drinks company has turned around the failing Jaguar F1 team which it bought in 2004. "Red Bull bought a team that was no good, it's not like they bought Ferrari," says Ecclestone.

He gives particular praise to Vettel's team mate Mark Webber who won last weekend's Grand Prix but had only won two races prior to this year. "Mark has done a good job," he says adding "I would never have believed it at the beginning of this year if somebody had said to me he is going to do this."