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Michael Schumacher could be set for a shock return to the Formula One cockpit behind the wheel of a Mercedes GP.

The seven-time world champion reportedly lost his position as an advisor to the Ferrari F1 team as part of a new three-year contract agreed in September, with Schumacher instead concentrating on road car development.

Schumacher loses F1 role

Mercedes motorsport boss Norbe...Read the full article

Autocar:

The seven-time world champion reportedly lost his position as an advisor to the Ferrari F1 team as part of a new three-year contract agreed in September, with Schumacher instead concentrating on road car development.

 

Hmm. If, as is reported, Michael is to continue work on the Ferrari road car side, it would be a massive conflict of interest to be driving for another brand every other weekend.

One of the main reasons behind Mercedes scaling down their close relationship with McLaren has been the boys from Woking (re-)entering the supercar arena as a competitor, rather than a collaborator. Hiring Schumi while he's still employed by Ferrari would be a similarly sticky situation, no?

nettingham:

Autocar:

The seven-time world champion reportedly lost his position as an advisor to the Ferrari F1 team as part of a new three-year contract agreed in September, with Schumacher instead concentrating on road car development.

 

Hmm. If, as is reported, Michael is to continue work on the Ferrari road car side, it would be a massive conflict of interest to be driving for another brand every other weekend.

One of the main reasons behind Mercedes scaling down their close relationship with McLaren has been the boys from Woking (re-)entering the supercar arena as a competitor, rather than a collaborator. Hiring Schumi while he's still employed by Ferrari would be a similarly sticky situation, no?

no. money trumps everything. Schumacher back in F1 makes money sense to just about everyone. Besides, having Schumacher in the pukka Silver Arrow against Hamilton in the fake one could just make F1 a genuine sporting spectacle. Jenson who?

I am sorry, was the flying pig i just saw?

Didnt think so. 

Complete non story, will not happen. move along!

If Merc want to cut costs, then hiring Schuey who got €7m as a consultant alone isn't the way to go. Mind you it depends on the marketing returns.... But this does go against the stories about Rosberg having a clause in his contract forbidding his team-mate earning more than him. That said, Haug did say one of the drivers would be a surprise. I reckon Piquet Jr though. They might want to do a campaign about how safe their cars are. He can crash on demand (or sooner when the talent runs out) and emerge unscathed.

 just a thought . . .

 Schumacher and Brawn go way back . . . to the days of Benetton and all the way through their time at Ferrari.  Seven driver's championships in all . . .

So it's likely that Mercedes-Benz is not the only one angling for his services.

Given the success they've had over the years, I reckon Ross Brawn would also be keen to get Schumacher back into the fold with the team he's leading.

At the same time, Mercedes-Benz has just launched the SLS AMG, which is very much a Ferrari 599 Fiorano rival. Having Schumacher to push it would be a major marketing coup.

And, take it from me, the SLS is just the beginning of Mercedes-Benz's supercar plans ... 

  

 

You guys that think this is a possible deal should stop smoking that wacky stuff ... come on guys ... how can he have one foot (be contracted) with one manufacturer and have the other with another??? Regardless how "logical" the MB deal seems to be, history, nationality whatever .. geez .....

No matter how much Haug fancies this dream scenario to me it's way too much a pipe dream with such a conflict of interest. Haug is just playing and manipulating the media to get the movement and talk going in the relevant circles ... and then sit back and see what happens ... anything is possible, however how probable it is is another matter all together .......

i agree that it seems unlikely, although there is intriguing circumstantial evidence which makes the story possible:

1) Schumacher and Ross Brawn loved working together, and would fall back into their working relationship immediately.

2) Brawn would be able to quickly advise his design team how to optimise the car for Schumacher's preferences, based on their long history together.

3) Schumacher was launched into Formula 1 by Mercedes, from his sports car days, driving for Mercedes when the team was run by Norbert Haug.  Perfect circle and all...

4) Brawn/Mercedes have not shown any great interest in retaining Button's services.  The prospect of having Schumacher in the team makes Button rather redundant, so they would not be too sad to see him at McLaren.  In fact, they would probably prefer it to having Raikkonen there to fight against.

5) Kimi has announced he is taking a sabbatical for 2010.  This suggests Button is a done deal at McLaren.

6) Barrichello can then claim he knew it was all going to happen, which is why he jumped ship to Williams.  No one will believe him, but it will make him feel better about being dumped... :)

7) Much is made of the fact that Schumacher is still on the Ferrari payroll, but this has been at least partly because he retired at the top of his game (apparently against his will, depending on who you believe) and they were smart enough to keep him around and prevent him going elsewhere for the last 3 years.  Now Schumacher is 40 and they have Alonso on-board, they are probably not so worried.  He has already been relieved of his race-team position.

8) He was rather enthusiastic about jumping into Massa's car earlier this year, wasn't he?  And Montezemolo was making noises about trying to run a third car for him, again probably in preference to having him go anywhere else.

9) Testing restrictions make every lap of testing priceless.  And Schuey is the best test drive in the business, which would be invaluable to Mercedes.

This has got to be one of the biggest non-starters of recent weeks! I cannot see Schumey leaving Ferrari (in whatever capacity he is there in) - he seems to love the place and has a rapport with the firm. Ok, so he drove for Mercedes' sportscar team back in 1990 and 1991 but i can't see him return to the marque which brought him to fame!

Greg Kable:

just a thought . . .

 Schumacher and Brawn go way back . . . to the days of Benetton and all the way through their time at Ferrari.  Seven driver's championships in all . . .

So it's likely that Mercedes-Benz is not the only one angling for his services.

Given the success they've had over the years, I reckon Ross Brawn would also be keen to get Schumacher back into the fold with the team he's leading.

news flash mate, Brawn and Mercedes-Benz GP are one in the same.....come on, catch up!

also, this must be the biggest non story of the week. what next, Stirling Moss considering coming out of retirement to return to the silvers arrows team where he enjoyed so much success in the Mille Miglia in the 1950's ?

apparently Moss was heavily involved in the development of the new SLS too,he was pushing for cross ply tyres and a nice wooden steering wheel sans airbag but apparently the Mercedes bean counters said no on cost grounds, it was too expensive to reverse engineer and remove this safety feature........

Vidge 123:

Complete non story, will not happen. move along!

Totally - Jenson is way better than Schumacer ever was.

Having over the years watched some of Schumacher'e antics on and off the track, i wouldn't be surprised if as a swan song he ditched the road side of Ferrari aswell and did a year at Brawn, wouldn't that make Bernie a few extra million quid!