Michael Schumacher’s manager insists the seven time world champion is staying at Mercedes next year.

After a strong race in Canada, speculation about the 42-year-old’s future returned when he finished a lowly seventeenth last Sunday at Valencia.

At the Spanish port venue, team boss Ross Brawn was quoted as suggesting Schumacher’s contract actually covers only 2010 and 2011, with the famous German in control of a one-year ‘option’ for 2012.

But Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm told DPA that the subsequent media reports were wrong.

“The interpretation that has been applied is wrong,” she said.

“Michael’s contract for 2012 is secure — he has a three-year contract.”

Mercedes’ motor racing vice-president Norbert Haug agreed: “Michael has said it himself that he has signed a three-year contract with Mercedes GP, and I acknowledge that.”

Michael Schumacher’s reaction to his poor race in Turkey last weekend showed he is a fighter, not a quitter, his manager Sabine Kehm has insisted.
Following the 42-year-old’s admission that “the big joy is not there right now” after a fraught run in Istanbul, many commentators predicted the time is nigh for German Schumacher to return to retirement.

Schumacher’s first team boss Eddie Jordan likened the end of his career to boxer Muhammad Ali’s, with David Coulthard agreeing that the Mercedes driver is “a once proud warrior now out of fight and damaging his reputation”.

“If he feels he can still be competitive, and he is still enjoying himself, then fair play to him,” the Scot wrote in his Telegraph column.

“The trouble is at the moment he is not enjoying himself and he does not look consistently competitive,” added Coulthard.

But Schumacher’s manager Kehm told Bild newspaper: “The guys should all know Michael better than that.

“He shows again and again that he is a fighter. The fact that he is disappointed after a race like Istanbul doesn’t disprove the hunger that he has, in fact it reinforces it,” she added.

Mercedes’ racing boss Norbert Haug agrees: “He is driving like a hungry youngster.

“Of course while the results are missing, there is criticism,” he told SID news agency.

Michael Schumacher is not ruling out staying in formula one beyond the end of his current contract.

Mercedes’ Norbert Haug at the weekend said he can imagine teaming up with the famous seven time world champion in 2013 “If Michael wants it and we can agree on a right price”.

Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm responded to Bild newspaper: “Of course we are open to discussions, because with the team we feel very good.

“Michael is totally motivated and is able to give F1 a lot more,” she added.

By the end of 2013, Schumacher will be approaching his 45th birthday, but the great German’s doctor Johannes Peil said age is not an obstacle.

“Michael is so fit,” he insisted, “he could still be driving at 50.”

Perhaps the key to Schumacher’s willingness to re-sign beyond 2012 is the better performance of the Mercedes team, following a disappointing return to F1 last year.

Until very recently, the new W02 was a second off the pace but last week at Barcelona “We made the big step we had calculated”, admitted a relieved Haug.

“We took a giant step forwards,” confirmed Schumacher’s teammate Nico Rosberg, who admitted that Schumacher’s best laptime in Barcelona with the upgrade package showed that the W02 is “very fast”.

“Even if the time was with low fuel, it surprised us. And many others, I am sure,” said Red Bull’s reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

But Haug told the SID news agency: “I don’t see us as the favourites; that is going to take a while yet.”

Michael Schumacher on Thursday swiftly dismissed rumours he is considering returning to retirement at the end of the 2010 season.

Given the seven time world champion’s disappointing return to formula one this year, the latest rumours had been spurred on by Eddie Jordan, who said he sensed a flurry of paddock activity at Monza relating to a race cockpit possibly opening up at Mercedes.

But 41-year-old Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm dismissed that speculation, and the German driver was asked personally about the rumours in the floodlit Singapore paddock on Thursday night.

“You won’t get rid of me that easily!” he jokingly hit back at the local Asian reporter’s question, according to the German news agency SID.

Indeed, he said the Brackley based team has now completely switched its focus to 2011, and that he has been involved in “every detail” of the W01 car’s successor.

“The focus of the 2011 car is now 100 per cent,” said the record winner of 91 grands prix. “There will be no more development steps with the 2010 car, even if I think some good results are possible,” revealed Schumacher.

He is already signed up for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

“Our goal is the world championship — and the sooner the better,” said the former Ferrari driver.

“But we are in a process; we are not magicians,” added Schumacher. “But we have already started our process, while the teams fighting for the (2010) world are somewhat further behind.

“We are hoping for a small head start for 2011,” he said.

Michael Schumacher’s spokeswoman has played down rumours the seven time world champion is reconsidering his decision to return to formula one.

The rumours were triggered at Monza by the German’s former team boss Eddie Jordan, who now stalks the paddock as a pundit for British television BBC.

Jordan said on Saturday that he thinks Schumacher, 41, is in danger of vacating the Mercedes seat after spotting multiple team bosses, drivers and managers entering and exiting the German team’s motor home at Monza.

“I’ve a hunch something fundamental has changed. I believe he is disillusioned and thinking of quitting,” said the Irishman.

But Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm hit back: “Michael has no plans to quit at the end of the year.

“When he entered into the whole comeback scenario, he was fully informed about the situation with the car. That’s why he chose it to be a three year contract — you cannot expect to come back and win straight away in that situation.

“Obviously he would have wished that the developments to the car improved its performance more than they did,” admitted Kehm.

“But it is a three year project to build a winning team and he is in the middle of the process.”

Jordan also said he has “hear rumours” that Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn might not be staying.

But Mercedes-Benz’s motor sport director Norbert Haug denied he is at loggerheads with Brawn.

“We are absolutely together working on next year’s car,” he said.

He may still have no manager, but Sebastian Vettel now has his own press spokeswoman.
Previously employed by the team Red Bull Racing, Britta Roeske will now handle only the 23-year-old German’s press affairs.

The move mirrors the approach of countryman Michael Schumacher, whose long-time press spokeswoman Sabine Kehm is now his general manager.

The relationship between Michael Schumacher and his long time manager Willi Weber appears to have cooled.

Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm has this year taken over the day-to-day management of the seven time world champion, although Weber is still involved in merchandising and sponsorship.

Weber, who guided the German throughout his ultra-successful initial career, said this week that he senses a “Schumi-tiredness” within the public that could explain low merchandise sales in 2010.

The 68-year-old also said “Vettel is the new Schumi” commercially, while it is “easier to find a 50-year-old virgin” than sponsors.

Schumacher said in Barcelona: “Some of the things he said I cannot understand.

“Sabine has actually been very successful in finding sponsors, and nearly at every race the team has a new sponsor.  It is his view,” the 41-year-old told Bild-Zeitung.

(GMM)

May 6 (GMM)  Michael Schumacher’s long time manager has admitted the hype of the German’s return to formula one this year has not matched his expectations.

Sabine Kehm has taken over as the Mercedes driver’s general manager, but Willi Weber is still in charge of Schumacher’s personal sponsorship and merchandising.

But the 68-year-old admitted that, just as Schumacher has not performed to the level of his initial career, the sale of official merchandise has also been slow.

“Sales are not how I expected them to be,” Weber told Germany’s Bild-Zeitung daily.  “There is a certain Schumi-tiredness.  The people are saying: my god, where is he driving?  You only know him as a winner.

“In the past the tribunes were full of Ferrari caps.  Now I can count the silver caps with one hand,” he added.

Weber admits that Sebastian Vettel – originally dubbed ‘Baby-Schumi’ by the German media – is now carrying the baton as the country’s favourite.

“Wherever I look, Vettel is the new Schumi, he is the number one in the TV ads and on the billboards.  Michael has left a void and Sebastian has grown into it, because he has the success and Michael doesn’t have it yet,” said Weber.

As for sponsorship, Weber admits it is a similarly slow story, but acknowledged that the entire F1 world is also struggling.

“It is easier to find a 50-year-old virgin than a sponsor for formula one,” he said.

(GMM)  While Ferrari and Toro Rosso have been running cars recently in Italy, Michael Schumacher was at the wheel of the 2010 Mercedes at Rockingham.

The combined oval and road course circuit is located in Northamptonshire, about an hour’s drive from Mercedes’ F1 headquarters, where the 41-year-old German has been this week to look over the updated W01 for the Spanish grand prix.

Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm confirmed to the DPA news agency that the seven time world champion did drive at Rockingham this week for team filming purposes.

The circuit was reportedly closed for the session and Schumacher is said to have covered about 100 kilometres.

“We are looking forward to evaluating the impact (of the car developments) on our pace whilst remaining conscious that this is very much a first step in improving our competitiveness,” said team boss Ross Brawn before travelling to Barcelona.

From his Swiss office on Tuesday, the 41-year-old’s day-to-day manager Sabine Kehm confirmed that the seven time world champion had reconsidered his earlier decision not to rejoin the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association in 2010.

Kehm said in March that, with the German having played a leading role in his initial career until 2006, Schumacher now wanted F1’s new generation to carry the baton.

It was rumoured that the Mercedes driver did not get along with the GPDA’s chairman Pedro de la Rosa, who quit the association in protest after Schumacher’s Monaco ‘Rascasse’ parking incident four years ago.

In Melbourne, Spaniard de la Rosa stepped down and was replaced as chairman by Mercedes reserve driver Nick Heidfeld.

But on Wednesday, Kehm denied that Schumacher’s decision to rejoin the GPDA has anything to do with the Sauber driver.

She said: “Michael always supported the work of the GPDA, for many years as a director. After he retired the work had been successfully taken over by the younger drivers, and at first Michael was hesitant to join as he did not want to be involved again.

“But after some thoughts and discussions, mainly with Felipe Massa, he reconsidered this initial decision and will now be a silent member,” added Kehm.

Schumacher’s friend and former Ferrari teammate Massa, as well as friend and countryman Sebastian Vettel, are the new directors of the GPDA, replacing Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso.

Michael Schumacher’s spokeswoman and day-to-day manager confirmed on Tuesday that the seven time world champion has rejoined the F1 drivers’ union, Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA).

We reported on Sunday that the 41-year-old signed up during the course of the Sepang race weekend.

Spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said last month that, with the German having played a leading role in the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association in his initial career, Schumacher now wanted F1’s new generation to carry the baton.

“Now he really wants the others, who have taken over in the meantime, to continue,” she said.

It was rumoured that the Mercedes driver did not get along with the GPDA’s chairman Pedro de la Rosa, who quit the association in protest after Schumacher’s Monaco ‘Rascasse’ parking incident four years ago.

In Melbourne, Spaniard de la Rosa stepped down and was replaced as chairman by Mercedes reserve driver Nick Heidfeld.

Schumacher’s countryman and friend Sebastian Vettel, and his former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa, have also now replaced Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso as directors.

Kehm confirmed on Tuesday that Schumacher is once again a member of the GPDA. It is believed the only non-member on the grid now is Schumacher’s countryman Adrian Sutil.

Earlier this season, the returning 41-year-old hesitated to rejoin the Grand Prix Drivers Association, despite playing a leading role until his retirement at the end of 2006.

It was rumoured that the Mercedes driver did not get along with the GPDA’s chairman Pedro de la Rosa, who quit the association in protest after Schumacher’s Monaco ‘Rascasse’ parking incident four years ago.

In Melbourne, Spaniard de la Rosa stepped down and was replaced as chairman by Mercedes reserve driver Nick Heidfeld.

Schumacher’s countryman and friend Sebastian Vettel, and his former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa, have also now replaced Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso as directors.

Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm was not immediately available for comment.

GMM