Schumacher At Mercedes?

[stopkidding 0]

Quite possible

Michael Schumacher is poised for a sensational return to Formula 1 with the new Mercedes team, according to BBC Sport pundit Eddie Jordan.

Mercedes want the seven-time champion as their lead driver after taking over title-winning Brawn, Jordan says.

"The possibility is being actively pursued and I believe it is going to happen," said Jordan.

Schumacher's spokeswoman Sabine Kehm told BBC Sport a return was "highly unlikely - but never say never".

The plan is for Schumacher to be a stop-gap before Mercedes can prise German rising star Sebastian Vettel out of Red Bull, Jordan said.

Schumacher could be a stop-gap before Mercedes target Vettel

The move would reunite Schumacher with Mercedes GP team boss Ross Brawn, who masterminded all his seven titles at Benetton and Ferrari.

The German, who will be 41 in January, had to pull out of a temporary comeback to F1 last year as a replacement for the injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa because of a neck injury.

But Kehm said that while Schumacher had not had any new tests on his neck, it was expected to be healed by the end of the year.

Jordan said: "It started with a meeting between Michael, Ross Brawn and Daimler chief executive officer Dieter Zetsche at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"At the moment, it is not possible for Michael to drive for Mercedes because he has a consultancy contract with Ferrari.

I understand Michael was due to meet Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo with a view to him being released - and that it will be approved because it is in the interests of F1

Eddie Jordan

"But I understand he was due to meet Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo with a view to him being released - and that it will be approved because it is in the interests of F1.

"I believe that is being planned at the moment.

"I also believe Ross and Michael have spoken in recent times and that Michael likes the idea of driving a Mercedes run by Ross. It's a mouth-watering idea.

"Schumacher was bitterly disappointed he didn't get to come back to replace Massa - he's keen to race again. And this is a dream for both parties.

"Michael and Mercedes go way back - he drove for their sportscar team before he raced in F1, and they were responsible for getting him in to F1. They paid the then Jordan team to give him his debut in 1991.

"He has won all these titles but never driven in F1 for Mercedes."

The Brawn team rose out of the ashes of Honda, which quit F1 in December 2008, and won the drivers' world championship with Jenson Button in 2009, as well as the constructors' title.

Mercedes's takeover was announced on Monday, but the team are looking for a lead driver following Button's decision to move to McLaren for 2010.

Brawn and Schumacher have achieved incredible success in F1

Signing Schumacher would be an ideal way for Mercedes to head off the negative publicity that has arisen from letting the world champion slip through their fingers.

A source close to Ferrari says the Italian team have yet to be asked to release Schumacher.

Schumacher's contract with the company was changed recently to remove him from any links with the F1 team, for which he was a consultant.

He is now an ambassador, consultant and test driver for the company's road car arm.

It is understood that during the summer Schumacher explored the idea of driving a third car for Ferrari on an occasional basis, but this is forbidden by F1's rules.

Kehm said Schumacher had given her no indication that he wanted to make a full-time return.

606: DEBATE

i still think if mercedes want a german driver they should of gone for adrian sutil ( yes he crashes but who doesn't)

andrei the meerkat........ simples

Vettel, 22, is contracted to drive for Red Bull until the end of 2011 and, while contracts are often broken in F1, Mercedes may not find it easy to buy him out.

Red Bull is owned by the soft drinks company's founder Dietrich Mateschitz who, as a billionaire, does not exactly need the money.

If the Schumacher deal does not come off, fellow German Nick Heidfeld is considered most likely to get the second Mercedes seat alongside Nico Rosberg, another German, whose contract has been signed but not officially announced.

But another possibility for Mercedes might be the highly rated Polish driver Robert Kubica.

He has signed for Renault, but the French company is deciding whether to continue in F1, with a decision due before the end of the year.

[dribbler 6]

All seems feasible. If Michael wants to, I'm sure it will happen. Mercedes always wanted him and never got him (well,not in F1), Ross is a known quantity and I like the stop gap logic until Vettel is prised out of Red Bull. Haug talked about a 'surprise' and this would be a nice one (for me anyway).

[Kopite Girl 0]

Stop kidding me stopkidding. Reading that was almost like foreplay.

I hope he does. The great Michael returns. Come on!

[dribbler 6]

Stop kidding me stopkidding. Reading that was almost like foreplay.

'tellin me. I'm all hot under the collar right now.

[stopkidding 0]

How long before this thread turns into Kimi is awesome! Button sucks thread?

Though I no longer have any allegiance to the former sensation known as Schumacher Elder, I am very much looking forward to the seeing him in a competitive car. With F1 being over run by teeny bop Twi-hearts, it would be interesting if Schumacher can do a Mansell or a Prost, that is, win races with dyed gray hair!

Edited November 20, 2009 by stopkidding

[Autumnpuma 0]

Kimi sucks and Button is awesome!!! YEAHHH!

Wait...

[tifosi too! 0]

It doesn't make much sense.

He can take F1 cars for a ride any time in Maranello and stay connected to the F1 scene.

Suppose he goes to Brawn and cuts his ties with Ferrari. Where does that leave him next season?

In his custom backyard track racing the F1 cars he owns? Can he compete at 41 as he did before? In ROC he said he went there to play with "what is left of a talent".

Do I think he can race? Yes, of course.

Will I be disappointed as a Ferrari (and his) fan because he 'll be racing for Mercedes? Yes, of course.

Will I be disappointed if he is slow and hopeless? Yes, of course.

Will I enjoy seeing him compete and win ? I won't feel good about it, but I will be happy!

MICHAEL JUST (DON'T) DO IT!!!

Unless you come back with Ferrari!!

[Schumikonen 2]

Kimi sucks and Button is awesome!!! YEAHHH!

Wait...

that's not fear I wanted to do that.

Anyway Kimi is awesome and Button...well let's see next year, if he doesn't beat LH I will say he suck but si far I can say that but I can't say he is awesome eather but LH is awesome and if he beats him them he must be an awesome driver too.

[stopkidding 0]

[quote name='Schumikonen' date='20 November 2009 - 12:25 PM' timestamp='1258745116' post='304083']
that's not fear I wanted to do that.

Anyway Kimi is awesome and Button...well let's see next year, if he doesn't beat LH I will say he suck but si far I can say that but I can't say he is awesome eather but LH is awesome and if he beats him them he must be an awesome driver too.
[/quote]

Now I really want Kimi to be in a car in 2010

I hate button, he lucked out! which, proves, if you stick in a crappy team long enough without being thrown out because of a lack of talent, you will be handed a car so amazing that it will take a talent like button to almost lose the championship in the second half...and yet be a world champion... oh I digress.

I think Schumacher has been slowly cutting ties with the F1 operations at Ferrari after Todt left. He didn't renew is contract to be a consultant at the Scuderia next year. SO he is only connected to the road car operations, which won't be hard to do....

[Kopite Girl 0]

'tellin me. I'm all hot under the collar right now.

Maybe you should take off that shirt of yours and cool down. [/goodcomeback]

I would so love to see Michael race again. He'd still have a thing or two to teach those pesky kids!

[lewisthegreat2 0]

We'll see.

I want F1 to move on.

How long does Schumi have to be retired for for people to stop demanding he return? The Race of Champions may mean very little, but he lost to two very untalented drivers in the last two years (Carl Edwards of NASCAR who has yet to win a race not on an oval in Sprint Cup, and Tanner Faust in 2009 in the Nation's Cup, who is a television host and a drifter, as if drifting is a sport). I still wonder if his Ferrari return had less to do with a neck injury and more to do with him testing the F2007 and realizing he may tarnish his reputation. That's just speculation, who knows? I'm probably wrong.

However, if Schumacher could come back, and race like he did in his prime, well...fine. Bring him on, as annoying as it is to hear that people would rather see Schumi come back until he's 1,001 instead of wanting to see the next generation of legends make names for themselves.

[mikathegreat2 2]

The tifosi will turn on him!

[Schumikonen 2]

Now I really want Kimi to be in a car in 2010

Me too and if it is Kimi and Schumi at Mercedes for me is a lot better, Brawn can pay Rosberg and send him to Force India next season and get my dream line up.

[LabradoRacer 2]

Will be bittersweet if he returns. Will root for him, but it'd be extremely disconcerting to not see him in red.

[Kopite Girl 0]

The tifosi will turn on him!

**** the tifosi if thats the case.

Michael has given them the best years of his career, put them back on the map in the F1 world and made the team great again.

If the tifosi can't handle it, thats their problem. Go on Michael. Be selfish and do something for yourself.

Or maybe I'm just desperate to watch an absolute legend in action again. Either way, and those that know me know what I'm about to say...

I don't care!

[Schumikonen 2]

Will be bittersweet if he returns. Will root for him, but it'd be extremely disconcerting to not see him in red.

For me it will be bitter sweet because if he return that will mean that Kimi won't and probably we are going to find out that he is not up to the job anymore, he could create another Ferrari but time is still running and he is not getting any younger and besides that he will affect the career of any team-mate he may have as he will demand all resources to be put on him.

[Insider 0]

I posted this in the 'Teams and Drivers 2010' thread this morning. If Eddie Jordan says it's going to happen, it probably won't.

[Schumikonen 2]

**** the tifosi if thats the case.

Michael has given them the best years of his career, put them back on the map in the F1 world and made the team great again.

If the tifosi can't handle it, thats their problem. Go on Michael. Be selfish and do something for yourself.

Or maybe I'm just desperate to watch an absolute legend in action again. Either way, and those that know me know what I'm about to say...

I don't care!

I've been a Ferrari fan sine Michael joint the team and I really don't care if he is driving for another team, Ferrari could send Massa to test or get another team and hire Schumi but they don't want to do it, so if he wants to drive again eh is "free" to go were he wants.

[Schumikonen 2]

I posted this in the 'Teams and Drivers 2010' thread this morning. If Eddie Jordan says it's going to happen, it probably won't.

I am waiting for Lauda opinion, IMO he is the worst one in preditions.

[Quiet One 15]

I posted this in the 'Teams and Drivers 2010' thread this morning. If Eddie Jordan says it's going to happen, it probably won't.

Yup. He has a natural instinct for that.

[freaky2 1]

I posted this in the 'Teams and Drivers 2010' thread this morning. If Eddie Jordan says it's going to happen, it probably won't.

First thing I thought when I started reading the article.

[yurp 0]

Ditto

People crave a Schumi fairy tale (including Eddie), but I think they're dreaming.

The longer Renault take about making a decision, the more I think they may not make 2010

If that's the case they'll be both Heidfeld and Kubica to snap up for Merc.

I also don't see Schumi shining as everyone would hope (if he did make a come back) - he'd perform well, but not be blisteringly fast.

Better for him to retain his legendary status, rather than come back and have everyone think it a mistake.

[Kopite Girl 0]

Ditto

People crave a Schumi fairy tale (including Eddie), but I think they're dreaming.

Whats wrong with dreaming? If you don't have dreams, life's boring, predictable and just not worth it.

Everyone has dreams, and for me one of them just happens to be seeing Michael race. Even if it is one last time. And if I'm a dreamer, so be it.

[yurp 0]

nothing wrong with dreaming - I'm all in favour of it

just don't be too dissappointed when it doesn't happen

[Jez 0]

I await further news with much anticipation.