A spat between two Britons could drive the German giant Mercedes out of formula one, according to a new media report.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone recently confirmed he is at loggerheads with Mercedes over the next Concorde Agreement.

But at the same time, he insisted that the Stuttgart marque is “very important to formula one. I have always supported them and I will always,” he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

Indeed, Mercedes has its own and newly-winning works team, powers the marquee McLaren outfit, and also supplies engines to Force India.

Ecclestone’s dispute is with fellow Englishman Ross Brawn, who is the Brackley based Mercedes GP team’s principal.

“I have spoken to the team manager (Brawn) about it (the dispute) and he seems to believe that the team has won a few world titles and about 80 races since the Tyrrell days,” said the 81-year-old.

Sport Bild reports that Ecclestone is refusing to give in to Brawn’s demands for extra Concorde Agreement entitlements for past title successes and history.

The magazine said the relationship has become so intense that Ecclestone has even refused to give a joint interview with Brawn.

“He (Brawn) was never very nice to me,” the F1 ‘supremo’ is quoted as saying.

The German report said there is a risk Mercedes will, as a result of the ‘ice age’ between the British duo, pull the plug on its entire F1 involvement.

 Michael Schumacher has revealed he would not have returned to formula one if not for the sport’s strict testing ban.
Two years after his record seventh title, the famous German retired in 2006, but then came back with the new Mercedes GP venture in 2010 and is now deciding whether or not to extend his contract for 2013.

But as a multi-millionaire and 43-year-old father of two, he was asked by the German newspaper Bild-Zeitung why he was not content to simply “enjoy your family” in the wake of his unprecedented success.

“Because racing is my passion,” he insisted, “and anyway it doesn’t mean I have to stop enjoying my life with my family.

“When I came back again, one of the reasons (for the decision) was that formula one is much less time-consuming as it was in my ‘first career’.

“Then, we had testing after each race, now – during the season – there is not. I have plenty of time for my family,” said Schumacher.

“Otherwise, clearly, there would have been no comeback,” he admitted.

So, Schumacher is now deciding whether or not to stay in 2013 and beyond.

Would he consider returning to Ferrari, to once again take on the challenge of pulling the famous Italian squad out of a crisis?

“Let’s just say this,” the German answered. “The probability that I will end my career with a team other than Mercedes is so exceedingly low that I don’t need to even think about it.”

 Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche on Thursday indicated he would like Michael Schumacher to extend his Mercedes GP contract beyond 2012.
Seven time world champion Schumacher’s existing three year contract, dating back to his decision to return to F1 in 2010 after a three-year sabbatical, runs out this year.

Zetsche is quoted by Seddeutsche Zeitung newspaper as saying Mercedes is fully committed to formula one, with an “engagement for the long term”.

As for involving 43-year-old Schumacher in those plans for 2013, Zetsche admitted it was “an attractive possibility”.

“He is still a motor sports icon,” he added.

Schumacher said at the Jerez test this week that while he might not have a title-winning car this year, Mercedes will build one in the future.

“We have to build our way there. I’m confident we can do that, in future, but let’s take it step by step,” said the German.

As for the possibility of a new contract, Schumacher answered: “I never gave any prognosis about my career. The right time will come to discuss my future.”

 Adrian Newey is Red Bull’s guarantee to remain a F1 frontrunner, according to Gerhard Berger.
The former ten-time race winner knows the Briton well, having won the 2008 Italian grand prix as a constructor when Sebastian Vettel drove the Newey-penned Toro Rosso to victory at Monza.

“As long as they have Adrian Newey and his technical staff, Red Bull will have either the fastest or the second fastest car,” Berger told this week’s Auto Motor und Sport magazine.

“And with Vettel in one of the cars, with so much confidence and experience now, he can make the difference even with the second best car,” added the Austrian.

But according to Berger, it is a different story for Germany’s former world-beater Michael Schumacher.

“I don’t think he’s going to extend the contract,” he said, referring to the fact 2012 is the third and final year of the 43-year-old’s existing deal with Mercedes.

“At some point he has to get tired.

“He has no chance against Rosberg,” explained Berger. “He will have to admit that at more than forty years of age he can’t beat a young driver at Rosberg’s level.”

Indeed, young talent is now Berger’s specialty, after he was asked by his former Ferrari boss Jean Todt to head the FIA’s single seater commission.

Berger thinks the junior categories cost youngsters too much.

“What I think would be reasonable is EUR 50,000 at the most for a kart season, 100,000 for an entry-level series, 300,000 for formula 3 and half a million for the last series before formula one,” he said.

Nico Rosberg, once chiefly described as the son of 1982 world champion Keke, insists he is now his own man.
As a teenager, while he charged towards F1 as GP2 champion six years ago, Rosberg’s career was guided by his father, the tough ‘Flying Finn’ who once managed Mika Hakkinen.

“His advice has always been important to me,” Rosberg admitted to the Kolner Express, “but now he stays out of it completely.

“I have done all the negotiations with Mercedes myself,” he added, referring to his new multi year contract with the Brackley based team.

“That was quite a challenge but my father helped me in the closing stages, with all the paperwork and things.”

Rosberg, meanwhile, insists there are no problems between his father and Michael Schumacher, despite Keke publicly lambasting his Mercedes teammate amid the ‘Rascasse’ scandal some years ago.

“They have buried the hatchet,” said Rosberg. “I’ve always been very neutral on that one.

“But maybe that’s one reason why my father does no interviews any more.”

It is the nature of modern F1 that has contributed to Michael Schumacher’s difficult comeback so far, the seven time world champion has insisted.
Two years ago now, the famous German – who will turn 43 next month – announced his return after a three-year break to the sport he once dominated.

Having scooped an incredible 91 wins and 154 podiums in his first career, Schumacher is yet to return to the rostrum after one of his 38 grands prix with Mercedes since 2010.

It has been speculated that Schumacher is now either too old to perform to his old standards, or no longer fully focused and determined.

“Some have questioned whether my mood has changed. It would be nice if outsiders didn’t make guesses without knowing,” he said in an interview with Italy’s Corriere della Sera.

Schumacher insisted that F1 is a “major challenge”, both for himself and for Mercedes-Benz, who are still building up their Brackley based works team.

He acknowledged: “I thought that I might be (on the podium) at least a couple of times. Together we have to work hard to improve performance but we are not afraid of that.

“In F1 there are no magic wands.

“In the past we did a lot of testing,” said the former Ferrari driver. “Today not, so I have had some problems with the tyres. I have not learned how to interpret them correctly.

“Previously I came to the race weekend knowing what was coming. Now the tests don’t come until Friday and I am still getting used to this system.”

Schumacher’s existing contract runs out at the end of 2012.

“Will I be here in 2013? There is no hurry yet to think about it,” he insisted.

 Ross Brawn will turn his attention to Michael Schumacher’s expiring contract in the middle of next season.
Mercedes’ other driver Nico Rosberg has already inked a new deal beyond next year, but there have been questions about Schumacher’s desire to keep racing and also speculation linking Kimi Raikkonen to the seat in 2013.

“We have a contract (with Schumacher) for next year and if he is happy then I see no reason why we cannot continue with an agreement in 2013 as well,” team boss Brawn told Italy’s Autosprint magazine.

The Brackley based team has finished 2011 fourth in the constructors’ standings, but the W02 car was below the German marque’s expectations.

Asked what went wrong, Brawn answered: “We thought it was important to have a rather short wheelbase but the reality with the exhaust systems showed that we were not right.

“So we did not start with the right basis.”

Schumacher’s former boss at Ferrari Luca di Montezemolo is not sure the 42-year-old German is the right man for Mercedes.

“This last two seasons has not been about a driver (Schumacher) representing modern motoring,” he told the La Politica nel Pallone programme.

“He made the choice to come back, and I don’t think he had a competitive car, but to me it’s a shame that a champion like him is not even on the podium.

“I would wish to see him close the second phase of his sporting life with a much greater satisfaction,” added Montezemolo.

Nico Rosberg has admitted he had talks about switching to McLaren while he was under contract to Williams some years ago.

“It’s true, there was a first discussion, but there was never the possibility of changing because I had a contract already,” the German told Kolner Express newspaper.

“So it wasn’t a topic for me at all,” added Rosberg, who now drives for Mercedes. “I am glad that I was with Williams and now Mercedes is my challenge.”

Highly competitive alongside seven time world champion Michael Schumacher in the last two seasons, the 26-year-old has even been linked with Ferrari.

But despite failing to record a single race win after more than a century of attempts, Rosberg insists he is happy.

He even thinks Mercedes, with its iconic Silver Arrows, is just as prestigious a brand as the Prancing Horse.

“Definitely, if not even more so,” he insisted.

“More and more I see those old videos with Fangio from the 50s; the history of the Silver Arrows is very impressive. I’ve said it before that winning in a Silver Arrow is my dream.”

Lewis Hamilton has tipped Nico Rosberg to retain his edge over Michael Schumacher at Mercedes.
Rosberg, a former karting teammate of 2008 world champion Hamilton and now a F1 rival, has signed on for the next few years with the German team, where in 2010 and 2011 he was the standout performer alongside the great Schumacher.

“I know Nico very well,” Briton Hamilton is quoted by the Cologne newspaper Express, “and I knew he would do everything to beat Michael. And he did it.

“I think he’s going to keep that gap now. Nico is hungry, there is no doubt about that. He has not won the championship or even any races but he is still young.

“When Michael was in the same phase in his career, maybe he had the same hunger and he won seven world championships and 91 races.

“I don’t think it’s possible for him to be as hungry as he was before,” added Hamilton.

But while there is no doubt Schumacher has upped his game in the second half of 2011, some commentators still believe he should return to retirement at the age of 42 and open his cockpit for a new charger.

Gerhard Berger, an early contemporary of Schumacher’s ultra-successful initial career, does not agree.

“He has won seven world championships and earned the right to do what he wants,” the former Ferrari and McLaren driver told Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

“The market regulates itself and if he was not good enough still, he would not still be there.”

Nico Rosberg’s new Mercedes deal is for the next four years and will earn him almost EUR 50 million by 2015, the major German daily Bild reported on Thursday.

Earlier, Mercedes announced that the 26-year-old – who was already scheduled to stay at the Brackley based team next season – has extended his stay for 2013 and beyond with an unspecified new multi-year deal.

Bild said Rosberg, with his new contract reportedly running through 2015, “will earn around EUR 12 million” per season.

 Mercedes has ended speculation about Nico Rosberg’s future by announcing the 26-year-old has extended his contract.
German Rosberg, who was already contracted to race alongside Michael Schumacher next season, has now inked a “multi year” extension to include 2013 “and beyond”, the Brackley based team said on Thursday.

“I have every confidence that the team will provide me with a winning car,” said Rosberg, who was recently linked with a switch to Ferrari.

Added team boss Ross Brawn: “We know that he is a driver who can win races and championships.”

It was reported in the German press on Wednesday that Schumacher is also set to extend his current contract to include 2013.

“In Michael, Nico has the most successful racing driver in the history of the sport as his teammate, which is a perfect combination for him as well as for our team,” said Mercedes-Benz’s Norbert Haug on Thursday.

Michael Schumacher has extended his Mercedes deal for another season, the German weekly Sport Bild reports.
The 42-year-old’s existing contract was set to run only until the end of next season, but Sport Bild said the seven time world champion is now staying at least until the end of 2013.

“There is no reason why Michael should not continue,” said team boss Ross Brawn. “He’s very valuable to the team and has not lost his edge.”

Schumacher hinted that he is not yet ready to return to retirement.

“I have proved I can run in the races faster than my teammate Nico Rosberg; overall we are on the right track.

“It is unlikely that in 2012 we will be in a position to go for the title, because first we need to lay down the foundation that we can then use in 2013,” he added.

Added Mercedes-Benz’s Norbert Haug: “Whoever wrote off Michael has been proved wrong. He is driving fantastic races; no one has made up more positions than him on the first lap.”

The next step for the Brackley based team is to keep Nico Rosberg beyond 2012, even though reports the 26-year-old could be snapped up immediately by Ferrari have proved wide of the mark.

“Winning with the Silver Arrows is my primary goal, but of course you always keep your options open,” he is quoted as saying.

The team looks strong on the technical front, with five former rival chiefs – Brawn and Aldo Costa (Ferrari), Bob Bell (Renault), Loic Bigois (Prost) and Geoff Willis (HRT) – all now peddling for Mercedes.

Peter Sauber has revealed he is still on track to return to retirement in the next few years.

The Swiss called off his retirement late last year when BMW pulled out of formula one, which risked the livelihoods of the staff at the Hinwil based team he had founded.

But, according to an interview with Le Matin newspaper, he is now rebuilding the team with an eye on returning to the golf course with his wife.

“I always said I didn’t want to be sitting on the pitwall with my headphones on at 70. I stand by what I said,” said the 67-year-old.

“But I’m going to stay at least until we are able to stabilise the team in a financial sense,” insisted Sauber.

That will involve choosing a new colour for the Ferrari-powered cars for 2011, given the arrival of the Mexican telcoms giant Telmex as sponsor.

“I knew we wouldn’t find a sponsor this year. And unfortunately BMW gave us a car that was painted completely white, which made things difficult.

“But don’t worry, next year we will have sponsors, without which it would not be viable,” he said.

Meanwhile, a new report in Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Ross Brawn is set to take a more backseat role at Mercedes GP.

“It will happen, but not for next year,” the Briton insisted.

Michael Schumacher will have a new race engineer at Mercedes next year, according to reports.

The French-language Eurosport said the identity of the engineer is Mark Slade, who this year is working alongside Vitaly Petrov at Renault.

Slade moved to Renault this year from McLaren, where he worked with famous Finns Heikki Kovalainen, Kimi Raikkonen and Mika Hakkinen.

After 15 years with the British team, he left McLaren early this season due to a technical staffing reshuffle.

Schumacher’s engineer in 2010 is Andy Shovlin, who in 2009 worked at the Brackley based team – then Brawn GP – alongside world champion Jenson Button.

It is expected that Shovlin will have a more general engineering role next year.

Schumacher’s teammate Nico Rosberg will also have a new race engineer in 2011, having worked this year with Jock Clear. It is expected that Tony Ross, Rosberg’s former race engineer at Williams, is switching to Mercedes.

Meanwhile, French commentator Jean-Louis Moncet wrote in his latest Auto Plus column that Mercedes GP chiefs Ross Brawn and Norbert Haug will have more distinct roles in 2011.

Moncet said he believes team boss Brawn’s role will be partially factory-based.

According to speculation in Korea on Thursday, definite changes on the personnel front are on the cards for Mercedes GP in 2011.

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are staying put as drivers, but a significant shake-up in other areas is expected, following the Brackley-based team’s difficult transition from the title-winning Brawn outfit.

When asked about the prospect of changes for 2011 on Thursday, Rosberg acknowledged the need for action.

“I wanted to be winning races and currently we are far away from that,” said the German.

Asked what the personnel changes could be, including whether Jock Clear will still be his race engineer in 2011, he answered: “Exactly what the changes will be, I cannot say.

“A lot will come from Ross Brawn. There are procedures he has analysed in order to get more from people in certain areas,” added Rosberg.