Timo Glock insists he is as good as his countryman and F1 rival Sebastian Vettel — and now he has a chance to prove it.
The Germans will be among the stars at the Race of Champions event this weekend in Dusseldorf, facing off at the wheel of identical cars.
Ahead of the event, Virgin/Marussia driver Glock was asked how determined he is to beat back-to-back world champion Vettel.
"Very," he smiled to the Kolner Express newspaper.
"I know I’m just as good as Seb. If we were both sitting in a Red Bull, only the form of the day would make the difference.
"So I’m very curious to see how the comparison pans out."
Glock might be forgiven for feeling frustrated after the last two seasons, where after fighting for podiums with Toyota he was forced to move right to the back of the grid with the struggling Virgin team.
With the change of name to Marussia, he is staying on board for 2012 and beyond.
"Yes, it’s quite funny," Glock, 29, said.
"I recently sat with an old Toyota mechanic and he asked me how I can stay motivated because we were fighting for the podium and now I’m fighting for 20th place.
"It’s simply this," he explained. "When I get into the car, I’m always motivated. Even when it’s for the wooden spoon, I just fight until the last metre."