From GMM

Eddie Jordan has praised Michael Schumacher's performance at Suzuka, despite claiming he would have fired him only two weeks earlier.

"We saw a different Schumacher in Japan," said BBC commentator Jordan, who in 1991 gave the then pay-driving German his first drive.

Jordan continued: "He was terrible in Singapore. It was the worst race of his I've ever seen."

At Suzuka, Schumacher was once again outqualifed by his teammate Nico Rosberg, but in the race he was faster than the younger German and finished sixth.

"He couldn't have gone on being as bad as he was in Singapore," Jordan is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

"It was a big improvement. In practice he was faster than Rosberg and that's something we haven't seen too often.

"I think he just felt comfortable. Suzuka is a brilliant drivers' circuit, and Michael is a brilliant driver," added Jordan. "I think we saw something of his old self."

Schumacher said after the race that his true pace this year has often been clouded by inconsistencies between his car and the sister Mercedes driven by Rosberg.

"Sometimes not everything comes together as planned from the technical point of view however our link is strong enough to allow things being criticised if they don't run as expected -- and this refers to all of us," he wrote on his official website.

"It's important we stay united within the team. And I am very confident about this," added Schumacher.