Official: The Red Baron is back!

The tale is perfect for the holidays. Rumor had been raging since his aborted intention to take the wheel of Felipe Massa’s car last August. Today, Michael Schumacher fulfills the dream of thousands of F1 fans by returning to drive in the premier category of motorsport. And the star manufacturer announced it just one day before Christmas. Fans can already rejoice at seeing the Red Baron again for the long term: « He is scheduled to drive for three years », stated the main person concerned.

For Schumi, who will participate in his 251st GP on March 14th and will then be 41 years old, the circle is in a way complete. Indeed. Almost 20 years ago, Schumacher became the driver for the Mercedes factory team. The former retiree himself is truly delighted: “I feel like a 12-year-old boy again, jumping around like a kid,” declared the new Mercedes driver.

Salary question, Schumacher is expected to earn 7 million euros for his return to the Silver Arrows team. « After three years of break, I have all the necessary energy that I missed before. My neck is no longer a problem. This summer, the accident was still too recent; now everything is recovered », commented the seven-time world champion.

Rumors of his return had significantly intensified in recent weeks. First, he was released from his obligations as a Ferrari advisor, a role he had taken on after his retirement announced at the end of 2006. Then, Mercedes publicly announced the partnership with Petronas, the Malaysian chemical group.

To the question of his return, Schumacher had always left doubt himself with answers like « who knows… ».

The new Mercedes driver should therefore test his new single-seater at the beginning of next year. Indeed, Mercedes is currently working on obtaining special permission for these tests to take place.

The German had announced his retirement at the end of 2006 after 250 GPs and 7 world championship titles. Until now, no other driver has done better. He will once again work closely with Ross Brawn, the architect of his seven world titles since the two partners were together at Benetton (1994 and 1995) and then at Ferrari (2000 to 2006).

At the Silver Arrows, the driver will reunite with a compatriot 17 years his junior, Nico Rosberg: “I would find that awesome,” had already commented the son of the 1982 world champion before the announcement of the duo. However, 2009 world vice-champion Sebastian Vettel had warned before the announcement of this comeback in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemein Zeitung: “I surely won’t keep looking in my rearview mirror and move to the right to let him pass if I see him. And if we were ever to have an accident together, I wouldn’t just pat him on the shoulder and say: it happens! No, I would be angry, it’s normal.”

Since his retirement in 2006, Schumacher had always excluded a return to competition. Only Felipe Massa’s serious accident in Hungary this summer had rekindled his racing spirit. But Ferrari could not offer him a seat for the season, as the only two available for 2010 were already occupied by Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.