Bernie Ecclestone has admitted he would like to see Michael Schumacher on the pitwall when he hangs up his helmet once again.
Throughout F1′s August break, the seven time world champion and his management had to fend off the latest round of speculation suggesting Schumacher, 42, could or should quit at the end of this season.

“I can not see Michael leaving formula one until he believes that the team is not competitive and he really thinks it’s time to go,” DPA news agency quotes F1 chief executive Ecclestone as saying on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Schumacher’s 1991 debut.

When that time eventually comes, Ecclestone thinks the great German would make an ideal team boss.

“He should run a team,” the 80-year-old Briton continued. “With his experience and his talent, he would be first class.”

Mercedes chief Ross Brawn, however, said Schumacher is not ready to hang up his helmet.

“Michael is a great driver, but what is not seen and what also made him a multiple world champion is his work with the team behind the scenes.

“If we can give him a car with the potential to fight for the championship, then I have no doubt that he will be in a position to win his eighth title,” added Brawn.

Along with Ecclestone’s team boss speculation however is Norbert Haug’s admission this week that a move at some point to the German touring car series DTM cannot be ruled out for Schumacher.

“It’s quite possible that Schumacher is being offered a ‘voluntary’ departure so that he can save face,” said Austria’s Sportwoche magazine.

But with 20 years now on the F1 odometer, might Schumacher also celebrate a quarter-century at the pinnacle of motor racing in a few years’ time?

“With Michael, you can never say never,” said his manager Sabine Kehm.

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.

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