Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to pitting his wits against Michael Schumacher in this year's Formula One world championship.

After three years in retirement, the 41-year-old German is looking forward to competing again this season for Mercedes.

And Hamilton is looking forward to lining up against Schumacher in the first race of the 2010 season, at Bahrain next Sunday.

The 2008 world champion said: "It's great for the sport and for the fans and it certainly will be a great experience to have such a legend on the track.

"He's won seven world championships. I've done it once and it was so hard, so to do it seven times is remarkable."

As for new McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, Hamilton added on BBC Radio Five Live: "We want to beat each other but I feel we are at a good age where if we're not winning we can support the other one."