Schumacher wants to stop F1

After this race weekend in Monza, Michael Schumacher leaves Italy with a 9th place, far from the glory days when the red of his single-seater dominated all the F1 podiums.

The return of the red baron to competition with a 3-year contract in hand is far from being a success that meets Mercedes’ expectations. For Eddie Jordan, the former head of Jordan Grand Prix, it is evident that at 41, Schumi is considering retiring from F1 at the end of this season: «I have a deep conviction that something has changed. I believe he is disappointed and is thinking about retiring.»

However, on the Mercedes side, the story is different, the team boss, Ross Brawn, is categorical: There will be no changes concerning the drivers for the next season.

Sabine Kehm, Schumacher’s spokesperson, also stated: Michael does not intend to retire at the end of the year.

On the track, it is evident that Schumacher is in trouble, having been largely dominated by his teammate Nico Rosberg. Even though the Mercedes is far from suiting his driving style, the strength of a champion is to know how to adapt while maintaining an impeccable conduct. On this point, once again, the red baron is far from achieving it. His attitude during the Hungarian GP towards his former teammate Rubens Barrichello is proof of a deep-seated unease. Let’s recall here that the experienced Brazilian narrowly escaped a collision with Schumacher’s car, which was trying to squeeze him along the pit wall, all at high speed. This high-risk maneuver was criticized by all F1 protagonists and sanctioned by the stewards (a 10-place penalty at the following GP).

Eddie Jordan clarifies his thoughts: «There are too many indications giving me the feeling that Michael is reconsidering his three-year contract…. There is far too much activity in the Mercedes motorhome involving representatives of drivers from other teams…. I’ve heard even Ross Brawn’s future with the German team is in doubt… It is also clear that due to the lack of performance of the Mercedes, expectations for next year will not be as high.»

Returning to the incident in Hungary, he adds: The incident with Barrichello had a real impact because Michael hadn’t realized that the standards had changed so much, and it really surprised him.

Jordan concludes thus: I think that Michael probably came to the conclusion that, despite his undeniable genius, just like this year, he will not be able to get a winning car.

During the Belgian Grand Prix, Schumacher admitted to feeling a certain difference now that he’s in his forties: At the end of the day, there’s the physical aspect. How can a 41-year-old driver be as good as a top-level driver of 23 or 24 years?… But I have experience and a very good top speed. Will it be the same as during my best period with Ferrari? I think we’ll never know, because when I reached that level with Ferrari, I had worked 10 years to achieve it. Today, I’m in a completely new team and it hasn’t even been a year.

The spokesperson for Schumacher wants to remain positive, she states: Michael is perfectly focused on the prospect of next season. The scenario of his return included the technical situation of the car, he was aware of all this. That’s why Michael decided to come back on the basis of a three-year contract. You can’t expect to return and win immediately in this situation… That’s why he’s not frustrated at all… Obviously, he would have liked the car’s development to be more able to improve his performance… But it’s a three-year project aimed at building a winning team, Michael is only halfway through this project.

The results of Mercedes are far from the standards of a team built on the foundations of the reigning world champion team. This situation is creating tensions in the team, and Norbert Haug and Ross Brawn are reportedly no longer on the same page.

Maybe the major problem for Mercedes is not having anticipated a probable failure of Schumacher’s comeback. The German legend is a guarantee of significant benefits for the brand. He is also an unmovable icon that cannot be dismissed just like that. Today, within this team, there is no young driver capable of immediately replacing the seven-time world champion. Even the experienced Heidfeld, recruited as a third driver, has been freed to develop future tires provided by Pirelli.

There remains the possibility of signing Adrian Sutil next season, the Force India driver who knows the Mercedes engine as it is on board his car. Moreover, he is a young German driver, who would perfectly match the profile sought by the team of the Stuttgart engine manufacturer.

If, as some think, Schumacher were to give up his seat next season, it is difficult to see many possible options to replace him. Considering the various contracts in place, the Top 10 drivers are all tied to their respective teams for 2011. A solution remains if by chance Mercedes wants to get their hands on a current world champion, they will have to turn to a driver forgotten by all, languishing in his car in WRC. Just like Schumacher, he experienced success with the Scuderia, the talent is real, the major difference is the age because Iceman is not yet 31 years old. It’s a fact, the only driver who can have an immediate impact is Räikkönen, he is the only one available, contractually speaking.

Such an operation would offer a top-tier lineup of drivers, capable of competing with the duos from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull. Räikkönen and Rosberg, that’s what could bring Mercedes back into the race as early as next season.