Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix: Ralf Schumacher has revealed that he is not yet ready to support team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya's bid to deny Michael Schumacher a record sixth Formula One world championship title.

Schumacher, who had a 10-grid penalty at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix - imposed for causing an accident at the recent German Grand Prix - commuted to a $50,000 fine by a Paris court on Wednesday, said he doesn't believe he is out of the championship fight or that Montoya needs his help.

"There are no team orders at Williams," said the German, who this weekend in Budapest will be looking to get his championship cause back on track after a recent sequence of poor results.

"I think on the other hand Juan Pablo doesn't need my help, as he proved at Hockenheim pretty impressively. We haven't come down to this stage so let's wait and see what the season brings."

The non-finish in Germany and a troubled ninth place, outside the points, at the championship's previous round at Silverstone, have left Schumacher 18 points adrift of his championship-leading brother and 12 behind Montoya. The younger Schumacher admitted yesterday the poor results had dented his championship hopes but said that, with his Hungarian penalty lifted, anything can happen in the remaining four races.

"Definitely, it's cost me a lot of points, especially at that stage of the year," he said. "It's pretty dangerous, but we will have to wait and see. Two good races could put me in a totally different position again so I take it as it comes. I can't change it anyway. I was a bit unlucky, but that's the way it is."

And luck could yet run his way. Nine points ahead of him in the race for the drivers' title is McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen and lurking just two behind is Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello.

Both were involved in the startline incident that marred the German Grand Prix and earned Schumacher his day in court. But with new evidence from the data recorders of the three cars involved in the smash coming to light in Paris, Raikkonen and Barrichello could yet be penalised.

"Tomorrow we have another meeting to express our views again," said a taciturn Barrichello on the subject of a possible penalty. "Unfortunately I was in the middle of a sandwich and that's pretty much it."

Raikkonen insisted he was not concerned about the outcome of any further investigations but did admit to being nonplussed by the reversal. "There's not much else to say to them (the race stewards), but let's see what happens. It's a bit weird that it's turned around suddenly, but they've made their decision already and we will see what happens. I'm not really worried about it at all."

With all three back in the running for the title - though some would see Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher as rank outsiders - the tussle for supremacy in Budapest is likely to be intense.

In recent races Ferrari's dominance has slipped as Williams's FW25 has come good and the team's Michelin tyres have outperformed Ferrari's Bridgestones at the past four races, but Barrichello believes this weekend could be different.

"It was quite good for us here last year," he said. "We had quite a good advantage. We just have to see how the weather plays. We're quite optimistic on the tyre side. Since Magny-Cours we have already said that we made aerodynamic improvements, so I feel that we're quite strong.

"To be honest with you, I felt that in Hockenheim my car was running quite well as well, so it was a pity not to be part of the race, but there are four races which are depending pretty much on the weather and we can go quite well, so we just have to wait and see."

And the Brazilian believes that at those four races the team could also prosper.

"Obviously, if you take Monza and Suzuka, they would probably be a little bit better (for us), but that doesn't mean that here and the States are going to be anything less. We just have to take it as it comes, be very open, test the car as much as we can, get a good and decent set-up and off we go."

They were sentiments the championship leader, Michael Schumacher, echoed yesterday; the Ferrari driver saying he was expecting to battle Montoya to the wire for the title.

"Honestly, I am optimistic. I can see a strong opportunity for us. I think we can accept being a little bit behind for one or two more races, so long as we don't lose too many points, and then fight back."

Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, however, was less upbeat about this weekend.

"A few races ago I might have made predictions, but not now," said Brawn. "We were strong here in Hungary last year, but it now looks like the sort of place that might suit Williams."

The last word, though, went to the defending champion, still bullish about his attempt to win a sixth world crown.

"Obviously it would be nice to win the championship before we got to Suzuka, but if it has to go to the last round, then that's the way it is," he said.