Schumacher: « I will not stay indefinitely » at Mercedes
If the German driver assures that he will not stay indefinitely with Mercedes, Michael Schumacher indicates, however, that the time has not yet come to discuss his future with the Brackley-based team.
At 43 years old, Michael Schumacher will make his eighteenth start in the premier category in Melbourne. Under contract with Mercedes until the end of the season, the future of the German driver is the subject of many rumors, sometimes contradictory, in the German press. Just a few weeks ago, *Bild* claimed that the German had been offered a contract extension for 2013 and 2014, partly based on statements from Dieter Zetsche, head of Daimler, who stated in the *Süddeutsche Zeitung* that the extension of the German driver was an interesting opportunity for the 2013 season.
This week, the Bild, once again, speculated about the future of Michael Schumacher by mentioning the possibility of seeing Lewis Hamilton, currently under contract with McLaren until the end of the season, replace the seven-time German champion should he retire, which has since been denied by the German team. Even Bernie Ecclestone, quoted by Reuters, playfully chimed in by saying he would like to see him in the second Red Bull, alongside Sebastian Vettel and at the wheel of a good car.
In an interview on his website, Michael Schumacher assures that the time has not come to speculate about his future: “It has absolutely no importance at the moment, I’m not even thinking about it,” he confides. “Right now, it’s exclusively about focusing on understanding our car so that we have a good season. I am certainly not going to stay here indefinitely,” he concedes, however.
In the meantime, the German driver will have the milestone of 300 Grand Prix starts in his sights this season, a highly symbolic mark that he could reach at the Italian Grand Prix, where in 2006 he announced his first retirement.
