Michael Schumacher says his P1 in qualifying for the Monaco GP only "confirms" what he has felt for a long time, he just needed the right moment.
Schumacher rolled back the years on Saturday as he stormed through the streets of Monte Carlo - where he has claimed no fewer than five victories - to post a 1:14.301.
That time proved to be the quickest of the day, putting Schumacher up into pole position for the first time since returning to Formula One in 2010 with Mercedes.
It also went a long way towards silencing the German's critics who had once again begun to question whether he deserves his place on the F1 grid.
"I leave it up to others what it means or does not means, to me I am obviously excited and very happy and confirms what I have felt for a long time," Schumacher said.
"It is just sometimes you have to put everything together at the right moment.
"I have to say a great thanks to all the team, particularly some of the guys who work very closely with me - we had a special session earlier this week that unified and united us even further.
"This is the result that comes together from that. I am grateful to the trust that Mercedes and the team had in me, they supported me. I am happy to give it back and want to give more back tomorrow."
And although the German will lose his pole position and drop to sixth after incurring a five-place grid-penalty at the previous race in Spain for crashing into Bruno Senna, Schumacher is adamant he will fight for the win on Sunday.
"I am more than thrilled and excited about making a pole here in Monaco.
"Monaco to all of us is the track of the year that has a very prestigious position, and to manage pole position here after what I have gone through in the last two and a half years is just fabulous. And that is what sticks into my mind.
"I told you guys in the press conference that I would get pole, start sixth and win it - and that is what I am going to aim for. That's all I have in my mind and the past doesn't matter.
Speaking about his final flying lap, the one that put him at the top of the timesheets by 0.080s, Schumacher said: "Obviously I saw my time on the dashboard (I thought) it should not be too bad, but you don't know as being one of the early ones out on track you don't know what will come behind.
"Seeing the monitors and at one point I saw number one and then I started to believe and got confirmation on the radio, it is just beautiful.
"Monaco being so special, we call it in terms of percentage a bit more of a driver track than other tracks, and because of the prestigious atmosphere and what it means for us, it is super fantastic if you manage to do such a lap. I knew I was on the lap, but you are never sure as we have seen how tight qualifying has been.
"It is very tricky in these days and not always possible to get all these together. Here and now we did and hopefully we learned more and more in order to do it more often. Reminding me I am still around is a good point."
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