13.12.2009
News has emerged in the past 24 hours that Michael Schumacher, 7 times F1 world champion, has agreed a one-year deal to drive for Mercedes F1 (formerly Brawn GP) for the 2010 season.
According to Germany’s Bild magazine, Schumacher will sign a one-year contract with the team later next week – he has managed to withdraw from his consulting contract with Ferrari which was supposed to see him focus on developing Ferrari’s road cars during the next 3 years.
Michael has reportedly agreed a 3.5 million Euro deal with the team, representing only a fraction of what he used to make when he drove for Ferrari, but after the 2010 season he will reportedly become long-term ambassador for the Stuttgart based Mercedes-Benz company. It’s a deal which Bild magazine describes as ‘one of the greatest comebacks in sport’, coincidentally in the same week as Tiger Woods takes one of the biggest falls in sport.
The only remaining obstacle is successfully completing the mandatory FIA medical examination, which prevented his return to the cockpit in 2009 after a motorcycling-related neck injury stopped him substituting for former Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa earlier this year.
The 7-time World Champion is set to partner the talented driver Nico Rosberg, and rekindle his successful relationship with team principal Ross Brawn, when he joins the team.
It’s not the first time the German ace has driven for Mercedes though – he joined Mercedes’ junior racing programme in the World Sports-Prototype Championship together with rivals Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger – driving the Sauber-Mercedes C11 he finished 5th in the 1990 drivers’ championship and 9th in the 1991 drivers’ championship, before entering Formula 1 that same year with the Jordan-Ford team.
Whilst official spokesperson Sabine Kehm and his manager Willi Weber refused to comment on the news, a source close to Schumacher’s management team said, “The signature is just a formality. Michael feels fit and healthy. The latest (medical) tests were entirely positive. He can’t wait for the return and working with Ross Brawn again”.
We will have to wait a few more days before the deal is officially confirmed.
About Steve Davies
Steve is a media, venture, and technology advisor and a former Partner at KPMG Consulting, PriceWaterhouse Coopers and Managing Partner at EIM - his clients range from global web and media companies to small start-ups. He formed Drivers Republic (DR) in 2007, the UK's first digital automotive magazine, with a team of EVO and Autocar writers before creating SkiddMark, and also writes as a guest contributor on Unruly Media’s Meme Machine blog and for Econsultancy’s digital marketing blog.
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15 Comments
Steve
December 13, 2009Jenson Button has been quoted as saying that Schumacher is taking a risk returning to F1, but I’m not surprised he chose to do so. It’s surely a more appealing prospect for the German to finish his career as an ambassador for Mercedes rather than Ferrari, rather like Walter Rohrl has become for Porsche.
He’s not the first F1 driver to retire and then get itchy feet, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and even Schumacher’s own rival Mikka Hakkinen have all found racing a difficult drug to give up.
The 2010 season is stacking up to be an epic one – Button in the same team as Hamilton, Schumacher back on the grid and new independent teams all fighting for a slice of the glory. Brilliant.
Steve
December 13, 2009Jenson Button has been quoted as saying that Schumacher is taking a risk returning to F1, but I’m not surprised he chose to do so. It’s surely a more appealing prospect for the German to finish his career as an ambassador for Mercedes rather than Ferrari, rather like Walter Rohrl has become for Porsche.
He’s not the first F1 driver to retire and then get itchy feet, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and even Schumacher’s own rival Mikka Hakkinen have all found racing a difficult drug to give up.
The 2010 season is stacking up to be an epic one – Button in the same team as Hamilton, Schumacher back on the grid and new independent teams all fighting for a slice of the glory. Brilliant.
Archie Davies
December 13, 2009Aaaaa this will be epic if it happens!!! bring on SHUMI!
Archie Davies
December 13, 2009Aaaaa this will be epic if it happens!!! bring on SHUMI!
uberVU - social comments
December 13, 2009Social comments and analytics for this post…
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AJ
December 13, 2009This really is looking set to be an epic season. Last season was great, but this next year.. ooh. I’m just glad I’ve got my Silverstone tickets already put it that way!
Steve
December 13, 2009That’s right, I forgot that we’ve also got Silverstone back on the calendar.
The British GP in 2010 is going to be awesome, two Britsh F1 world champions competing in the same (British) team topped off with it being effectively Schumi’s last race in Britain (If the news about his 1-year deal is all it ends up being).
Truth really might be better than fiction..
AJ
December 13, 2009This really is looking set to be an epic season. Last season was great, but this next year.. ooh. I’m just glad I’ve got my Silverstone tickets already put it that way!
Steve
December 13, 2009That’s right, I forgot that we’ve also got Silverstone back on the calendar.
The British GP in 2010 is going to be awesome, two Britsh F1 world champions competing in the same (British) team topped off with it being effectively Schumi’s last race in Britain (If the news about his 1-year deal is all it ends up being).
Truth really might be better than fiction..
Javi M
December 13, 2009that is good news!, can´t wait to see the fight between alonso, shumacker,barrichelo once more!!
Javi M
December 13, 2009that is good news!, can´t wait to see the fight between alonso, shumacker,barrichelo once more!!
farulh
December 14, 2009I’m waiting for u michael schumacher at sepang
farulh
December 14, 2009I’m waiting for u michael schumacher at sepang
luanpa
December 18, 2009I am wait for him!
luanpa
December 18, 2009I am wait for him!