Hang on to your hats, the F1 rumour mill is about to go into hyperdrive with reports suggesting Michael Schumacher could be tempted out of retirement to re-unite with Ross Brawn at the revamped Mercedes GP team in 2010.
The speculation is being fuelled by two main factors. First, Schumacher has left his role as an advisor to the Ferrari F1 team. Secondly, with Jenson Button seemingly destined for a seat at McLaren the scene is set for an all-German dream team in the new “Silver Arrows” at Mercedes GP.
Okay, sure, Schumacher still holds a key role at Ferrari’s road car department which may scupper any plans of an F1 comeback with the German giants. But, the seven time world champion could almost taste an F1 return earlier in the year when a Maranello red Formula One carrot was dangled in front of him in the form of a part time drive to cover for the injured Felipe Massa.
In the end, that chance was taken away due a neck injury he suffered earlier in the year. Would the promise a full time drive in a new German super-team, headed by his ex-Ferrari master tactician Ross Brawn, be enough to lure Schumacher back to the sport?
Norbert Haug, Mercedes motorsport chief, expects to announce the team’s driver pairing in the next couple of weeks. He’s not revealed any concrete plans to offer Schumacher a seat, but has said, “I think and hope we can announce something in the course of the next couple of weeks. We will do a very good job in that respect as well I can promise you – and maybe we can create some surprises.”
I must admit I am not one of Michael’s greatest fans, but even I can see how spectacularly awesome this would be for F1 were the Schumacher-Mercedes rumour to come true. Please let it be so.
[Source: Autocar]