Michael Schumacher does not intend to retire
As the manager of the German driver disputes the truthfulness of the recent statements made by the German driver, Niki Lauda believes that Schumi should bow out at the end of this season.
At the beginning of the week, we reported Michael Schumacher’s statements where he mentioned his possible retirement in the columns of the Corriere dello Sport: « I don’t know if my mindset is good for the team. In some time, we will assess whether to continue or stop F1. »
However, in the German newspaper Bild, the manager of the seven-time German world champion, Sabine Kehm, disputes these statements: « Michael did not speak with anyone from the Corriere dello Sport. »
« He has a great passion for the project and he wants to build something big with Mercedes: it’s an exciting challenge » continues Sabine Kehm. « Difficulties are just a motivation to do better. He is a driver who will celebrate his twentieth anniversary in Formula One and he knows that his perseverance is what makes the difference » she explains, assuring that the Mercedes driver « has no intention of retiring ».
However, more and more people believe that the German driver could – and should – end his career at the end of the season, after two years where he never seemed able to reach the level he was at back in 2006. Niki Lauda shares this opinion in *motorsport magazin*: « In the end, you have to ask yourself if you can do it or not and, frankly, I don’t think it’s going to work for Michael anymore. If you want to be faster, you try everything, and if you’ve tried everything and still can’t be faster, then that’s it. One day, he will realize that he can’t do it and thus he’ll make a decision. »
The triple Austrian world champion actually believes, contrary to what Michael Schumacher’s supposed statements in the Corriere dello Sport might suggest, that the German is not as relaxed as he claims: « He said he needed more time, bla, bla, bla, and he describes himself as a relaxed guy who really enjoys what he does, but, deep down, he isn’t, because no top driver enjoys being beaten. »
According to the former Ferrari and McLaren driver, the 2012 season will likely be one too many for the native of Hürth-Hermülheim: Last year, we understood that he needed time to get used to different cars. On top of the disadvantage of being unable to test and everything else, I had the feeling that this year was his last chance to make a notable comeback, yet this year is in line with the past season.
The fact remains that Michael Schumacher has reportedly informed the Mercedes authorities of his intention to honor his contract until its completion, which is at the end of the 2012 season, where he hopes to benefit from a W03 finally meeting the expectations placed on the star-branded team.
