The rumour became a reality on December 23, just two days before Christmas. Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher will officially come out of his retirement next year to drive in the Formula 1 Championship as part of the Mercedes Grand Prix team.
For Schumacher, it is a return to Mercedes-Benz Motorsport where the young Formula 3 driver began his racing apprenticeship as part of the Junior Programme in 1990, racing in Group C sports cars and DTM.
It is also Mercedes-Benz that most probably paid the $250,000 fee that cost his first Formula 1 race with team Jordan in Spa-Francorchamps in 1991.
Schumacher will also renew his partnership with Ross Brawn with whom he won all seven of his world titles.
“Schmi” will be the teammate of another German at Mercedes, young Nico Rosberg who will be under tremendous pressure to perform well because he will be directly and inevitably compared to Schumacher.
Mercedes-Benz motorsport directors have tried on many occasions in the past to get Schumacher to drive for them. The only solution was to put Schumacher behind the wheel of a McLaren-Mercedes. But that never happened.
Apparently, McLaren boss Ron Dennis was not delighted with the idea of seeing Schumacher come to his team. So Dennis never came to an agreement with Mercedes nor with Schumacher. And Schumi continued and ended his F1 career with Ferrari.
Now that Mercedes have purchased their own F1 team (née Branw GP), it became immensely easier for them to reach an agreement with the German driver. Especially since the former Brawn car will now be fully identified as a Mercedes.
photo:Mercedes
For Schumacher, it is a return to Mercedes-Benz Motorsport where the young Formula 3 driver began his racing apprenticeship as part of the Junior Programme in 1990, racing in Group C sports cars and DTM.
It is also Mercedes-Benz that most probably paid the $250,000 fee that cost his first Formula 1 race with team Jordan in Spa-Francorchamps in 1991.
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Schumacher will also renew his partnership with Ross Brawn with whom he won all seven of his world titles.
“Schmi” will be the teammate of another German at Mercedes, young Nico Rosberg who will be under tremendous pressure to perform well because he will be directly and inevitably compared to Schumacher.
Mercedes-Benz motorsport directors have tried on many occasions in the past to get Schumacher to drive for them. The only solution was to put Schumacher behind the wheel of a McLaren-Mercedes. But that never happened.
Apparently, McLaren boss Ron Dennis was not delighted with the idea of seeing Schumacher come to his team. So Dennis never came to an agreement with Mercedes nor with Schumacher. And Schumi continued and ended his F1 career with Ferrari.
Now that Mercedes have purchased their own F1 team (née Branw GP), it became immensely easier for them to reach an agreement with the German driver. Especially since the former Brawn car will now be fully identified as a Mercedes.
photo:Mercedes