Should Schumacher keep on racing?

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Michael Schumacher is out of a drive at Mercedes for 2013 following today’s announcement that Lewis Hamilton will join the team.

What now for the seven-times world champion? With no seats left at the top teams should he look for a way to stay in F1 or head back into retirement?

For

The third year of Schumacher’s comeback has been his most promising by far. In the seven races he and Rosberg have finished, Schumacher was ahead in all bar one of them.

His position in the championship does not do justice to his performances. Earlier in the season he lost a stack of points due to various car problems. He began the year holding third place in Melbourne until his gearbox gave up. In China a problem during his pit stop meant he had to retire having been running second.

Schumacher has been on an upward trajectory since returning to Formula 1 and he shouldn’t stop now.

Against

Schumacher was criticised after his embarrassing shunt during the Singapore Grand Prix in which he took out Jean-Eric Vergne. It earned him a ten-place grid drop for the next race as he’d had a similar crash at the Spanish round.

In the three years since he returned to F1 with Mercedes he has failed to emulate the success he enjoyed at Ferrari and Benetton.

With the top seats at Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes taken for 2013, and a move to Ferrari looking unlikely, he would not be able to drive for a top team, further diminishing his chance of being able to compete for wins.

I say

Rather too much has been made of Schumacher’s mistakes this year. Even when he was at his peak, Schumacher was prone to the occasional blunder, usually when battling in the midfield. In 2004, his most successful season of all, he had scrappy races in China and Brazil.

Schumacher clearly has the appetite to continue racing and although his options are increasingly limited, it’s possible he could. One option might be to ‘complete the circle’ by taking Sergio Perez’s place at Sauber, having been associated with them when they ran Mercedes’ sports car team in the early nineties.

But for a grid penalty and a fuel pressure problem he might have won the Monaco Grand Prix this year. I don’t think a driver who is capable of that needs to hang up his helmet just yet.

You say

Should Schumacher continue in F1? Cast your vote and have your say in the comments.

Should Schumacher keep on racing in F1?

  • No (37%)
  • Yes (63%)

Total Voters: 452

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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120 comments on “Should Schumacher keep on racing?”

  1. Not in F1. He shouldn’t hang his helmet up just yet, but if he remains associated with Mercedes, I would personally like to see him try his hand at GT racing in the SLS GT3 somewhere. Not DTM.

    1. I voted YES – for Schumi to continue racing. But, if not (in a competitive team) in F1, than perhaps in WRC.

    2. Be interesting seeing him in Indy

      1. For the Grand-Am race? l0l I doubt as his age he’d even consider running an openwheel car on an Oval in anything other then an exhibition run.

        I don’t recall off the top of my head what Mercedes is doing in the WEC this year (or well I guess next) so I’m not sure if he’d be able to keep the Mercedes link but I think a move from F1 to an WEC LMP1 car would be somewhat of a lateral move, be it to the Audi team or even sitting out 2013 & joining in on Porsche when they return to Le Mans style racing in 2014.

        Then again being a greedy American who grew up during the “Schumacher Era” I would love to see him come over here and try his hand at Stockcar racing.

  2. I guess you read my comment in today’s round up, Keith !

    I don’t think Schumi should stop. If a driver sets the fastest qualifying time at Monaco, then that driver clearly has a lot to give, even if he’s not at the peak of his career.

    It’d be sad to see him go now that he’s got in rhythm. People has been very harsh about his mistakes since his comeback, because they keep comparing his performances to his older self. But that’s no justice…

    1. But the weird thing is (and I expect this kept coming back to worry Ross Brawn), if Schumacher could just ‘resolve’ to blitz qualifying in Monaco and go fastest so that he could start sixth, why couldn’t he just resolve to do it elsewhere and start first?
      It almost seemed as though he would only try when it he thinks it was really necessary. Does he lack motivation?
      I voted for Michael to retire again for three different reasons.
      1) I think F1 needs a clear out of drivers to make way for the next intake – Schu, Webber, Glock and even Button, probably.
      2) Michael is devalueing his own reputation by performing below his previous best
      3) I hate to see former gods of racing slipping from great team to lesser team further and further down the grid – like fading rock star playing at smaller and smaller venues.

      1. What is so difficult to understand dear fellow? In Monaco GP aerodynamic forces are minimal due to the low speed on track. So, the main problem for Mercedes GP -lack of downforce – is eliminated and the driver is on par with those of the top teams. It is a driver circuit (exactly on the opposite of Barcelona GP which is a car circuit). So, this year the talent and determination needed in Monaco proved to belong to Schumi more than to other drivers. As Senna somewhen lapped 1.5 secs faster than Prost in the same car. Clear enough?

        I want Schumi to continue in an F1 team that has a car which doesn’t destroy tires as much as Mercedes.

        1. Then again Singapore has the lowest corner speeds of the season and Schumacher didn’t actually shine there.

          It’s nonsense that all cars would be on the same line in Monaco or that driving well in Monaco would tell more about a driver than other tracks. It’s just different aspects of the car that matter in Monaco, unless Schumacher can jump into my Volkswagen Polo and still compete for victory.

          Also, team mates have the same car on every race. Isn’t 1.5 second margin per lap against a team mate impressive on ANY track?

          1. Mercedes has had two problems. The first which we saw early in the season, was rear tyre wear. Their solution to this was to reduce the rear down force on the car in order to improve the tyres lifespan. Which is why they struggled for pace from mid season.

            In Monaco, tyre wear is not a big concern so they were able to perform. In Singapore however, tyre wear is quite high, we saw this by the number of pit stops people did.

      2. Well as for clearing out older drivers, that should be done by beating them on the race track and only that way. Yes there needs to be more testing. It’s all very fine trying to cut costs but if safety is more important and the more experience the drivers have the safer it is.
        Michael is still no 1 for me, he was never going tto match his previous acchievements but he can still give any of them a run for their money when the car is capable of it. I would like to see him in a Sauber, it’s down the road from where he lives and the roads and views around Hinwell are just stunning. I reckon he could win races in a Sauber. Certainly he could make the podium and get valuable points for the team.
        As for former gods fading, thats just the way that we and they know when its time to stop. It never really affects their acchievements IMHO and is usually only a footnote.

        1. Michael Brown (@)
          29th September 2012, 13:35

          Let’s look at Trulli and Barrichello, who were struggling to match their younger teammates in 2011 despite being younger than Schumacher as well. He’s been doing better than if any other driver in their 40’s was still in F1, which shows his talent.

          1. Trulli who was left to drive in a back of the field team and then dropped for a younger rookie… Or Rubens who retired to make way for a cashed up rookie.

            …. Wait… Older drivers DO leave because there are better (for whatever reason) young drivers available.

        2. I also think going to Sauber for a final season is not that bad an idea…
          1. He clearly does not need to charge millions from Sauber.
          2. Rather, he could bring loads of sponsorship to a team which surely deserves it, perhaps also a better engine partnership, before 2014.
          3. It could be a chance for him to really lift a team from the Midpack/occasional front-runner to proper race challengers and create a maybe another legacy before bowing out.
          4. It would be fitting for Schumacher to team up with a Peter Sauber, someone who has fought and got his team so far, for a final season before the 2014 season.

      3. on je najboljši voznik sam avta ni imel dobrga sauber je boljši od mercedeca

    2. I haven’t been impressed with MSC since his return and unfortunately it seems I’ll never get the chance. I think the Mercedes is a pig of a car, Brawn is over rated as a stand alone team principal and Nico Rosberg is proof of that. Neither Nico (which I rate highly) nor Michael have been able to achieve constant results in this car which I believe has no consistancy as Brawn and his gurus are forever changing it, trying to get the results their names stake. This however I believe is about to change. Brawn has built an empire of talent behind him, something he needs to succeed. The financial backing and wealth of talent should provide the car for Lewis that Michael deserved. Back to Michael, I believe his only option is Sauber. As much as that would be great to see, I unfortunately I think Poor old Peter has seen his best car yet this year and with James Key now gone, the excellent car that others have been copying parts off might just be the only chance Sauber has of being competitive. That would just leave Michael in another “middle of the field” car, therefore he may as well just retire now!

  3. I voted no. Simply because there is not a decent seat available to him. I would like to see him stay in Formula 1, but not in a team like Sauber. Ideally I’d like Massa to reject a new contract at Ferrari and go back to Sauber or out of F1, leaving Schumacher as Ferrari’s best option as a stop-gap for Vettel potentially joining in 2014. But I think I’m more likely to win the lottery than that happening.

    1. One year in Ferrari would be nice.

      1. Montezemelo is just crazy enough to go for it.
        it also give some much needed relief to my 3 year long bout of schizophrenia.:)

    2. Schumacher stopped before in part so that Massa would have the Ferrari drive. He had a soft spot for Massa as someone he had nurtured. Now perhaps it is time for Massa to return the favour.

      I also don’t think Sauber is a bad option. The current Sauber is a very good car, better I think than the pilots. Perez is good, but you need a good car to show that, and the simple truth is that the Sauber has been capable of winning on at least 2 occasions this year. People underestimate Sauber, they have the best wind tunnel in F1, and have been on a continuous upward trajectory since its completion. They have all the facilities, good people and have taken more advanced steps than Williams at a succession plan for their figure head, and their culture has not suffered as a result. What they need now is someone who is quick, but can also develop the car and help them break into the the top tier. Schumacher fits the bill.

      In Schumacher’s “2nd career” he has improved constantly, and is now clearly doing better than Rosberg. No one is denying Rosberg should drive for the team Hamilton hopes will take him again to the title. Rosberg will feel he can challenge Hamilton, but if so then surely Schumacher can yet also challenge for the title.

      1. “and is now clearly doing better than Rosberg.”

        Like the last race?

  4. Michael Brown (@)
    28th September 2012, 20:16

    He’s been beating Rosberg consistently this year. I know the points don’t show it but he’s shown increasing speed over three years, more than most younger drivers. I say keep him, because he will keep getting better.

    1. “He’s been beating Rosberg consistently this year.”

      Like the last race?

      At times MS has had slightly better pace than NR, but not dominantly so. And at times it has been NR that has had the better pace including a win. And this after 2 seasons that may have seen them trying to help MS out with their current rendition of the car moreso than NR who struggled less by far last year and the year before. And reliability of course has been an issue, but MS has also cost himself in 4 races with hits on other cars and ensuing penalties. MS’s experience has still only managed to ‘help’ the car be a distant 5th in the WCC.

      So we have gone from in 2010 Brawn telling us MS would be WDC that year, to him being soundly beaten 2 years in a row, to MS outperforming NR albeit not on the points sheet, to MS being out of a ride, to MS going to Sauber.

      Pack it in MS. Move to Sauber to what end? What close friends will you have there? What time to develope something? Don’t embarass yourself. Leave well enough alone.

  5. I wish he could race forever, and I voted yes. I’ve followed him since 1994 when I first started watching F1 at 5 (on my own accord, no real interest from anyone else in my family). He’s been the man to beat for a long time, some might say since 1993.

    However, the realist in my knows that all things must come to an end at some point. There’s no denying Schumacher’s talent, he has more now in his later years than many have at the peak of the career. He also needs to consider the future of the sport. James Allen wrote yesterday of the ticking timebomb for F1 in the 5 years, where there will essentially be a group of hapless newbies due to limited opportunities to drive in an F1 car, and also due the money the bring along.

    I want him to stay, but all the same, the next generations of drivers need their shot too. Esteban Guiterez, Robert Wickins, Robyn Frijns – all quick drivers and need a chance. You could chuck Jaime Algusuari and Sebestian Buemi into the mix as well. Both are very young but have already been given the cold shoulder. F1 has proved thaet drivers need time to mature, but they werent given the chance.

    Schumacher is faced with a difficult decision, but it’s one that he will have to make eventually, only this time, for good.

    On a side note though, will he have another parade/pre-race party like last time. Will Kimi be in attendence or making himself lighter for the race? ;)

    1. I think that the best solution for that is to bring the GP2 cars closer to F1 performance, and getting the F1 stewards to steward the GP2/3 races (they might already, but I don’t know that).
      And, for the GP2 ‘owners'(?) (is that the right word), to buy 3 or 4 fairly recent F1 cars of similair performance, and then the GP2 person organises 3 days of testing or so at Paul Ricard for instance.
      Then, on the evening of the last day, the 3 or 4 GP2 drivers have a race of 3/4 F1 race distance, which is judged very harshly by the stewards, to prepare them for F1.
      Will be costly, but experience doesn’t come cheap.
      (to reduce costs for the GP2 owners (that’s what I’m calling them from now on) the GP2 drivers sponsors could partially pay for the testing and racing.

      1. @xjr15jaaag
        GP2 and GP3 was created to be feeder classes into F1 specifically, and I think its slowly starting to work. However, I would be reluctant to make wholesale changes to the categories whereby older F1 cars are bought and raced, I think that’s fundamentally wrong for a couple of reasons:

        1. To find sponsorship for GP2 and GP3 is hard enough because the sport receives very little exposure beyond the F1 paddock, so getting additional money to run an older model f1 car is not viable.
        2. F1 teams are hugely protective of their older equipment, there are still internals used from previous years F1 cars used in the latest incarnation for a particular team, e.g. Fuel Cells, electronics, etc… So having this available for purchase by GP2 & GP3 teams isn’t going to be something that someone like Ferrari, Red Bull or McLaren necessarily want.
        3. I honestly think GP2 and GP3 will improve over time and be the natural progression to F1. It just needs a few years under its belt spread its wings, so to speak.

    2. Same here. I wish he could race for ever.
      There’s no doubt Michael is still one of the top drivers on the current grid. I’m however not sure of the position Michael is in now.
      On one side there are reports that Michael’s indecision led Mercedes to chase Hamilton. If that is the case, I don’t see why he would want to continue racing. Why would one work hard for 3 years and then just decide to go to a new team? Especially when you are towards the end of your career.
      On the other hand, there were reports Michael could take on an ambassadorial role at Mercedes. However, in today’s announcement, Mercedes have openly “thanked” Schumacher for his contribution. The kind of “thank you” you say when someone is leaving. Neither have they announced Schumacher is retiring nor are they making him an ambassador. So does that mean he has been sacked?
      I remember Schumacher saying “It would be pity if I didnt win a race in my comeback”. So, has Schumacher suddenly decided it’s ok if he didnt win (Clearly, a win in the last 6 races this year is unlikely)?
      I get a feeling its the latter that is true. Saying Michael was indecisive is just PR. Mercedes wanted Hamilton more than they wanted Schumacher to continue. Schumacher would have preferred giving Mercedes one more year but I dont think it was in his hands.

      If he really wants to continue, he could think of going to Sauber or Williams. I think he should continue. I dont think he will.

  6. I voted no because I’d rather see him come to Indycar. Perhaps he can rejoin Rubens?

    1. He once did an interview with 60 Minutes, probably a decade ago or so, but he pretty much dismissed Indycar entirely. Unless his attitude has changed, I don’t see him making the hop across the pond like Rubens did.

    2. I don’t think it’s gonna happen. Rubens’ had his friend in IndyCar that persuaded him to go racing there, I don’t think IndyCars are something Schumacher ever considered. If anything, he’d probably move to Le Mans or that kind of stuff… if he wants to continue.

      Come to think of it, with Michael’s current connections with Mercedes, and Mika’s recent races with the SLS… wouldn’t it be great if both of them teamed up?!

      1. Oh lord, I’d pay good money to see Michael and Mika in one team, even outside of F1. Someone needs to make this happen!

  7. Your poll is a bit confusing because you ask the question “Is it time for Michael Schumacher to leave F1?” followed by “Should Schumacher keep on racing in F1?” on the next line. I almost ticked the wrong box.

    My answers are No and Yes. He’s still got a lot of followers, he still entertains, and he surely still adds value to any team that would have him. Personally I’d like to see him in a different car/team to see if he does better elsewhere. But I think it’s right that the stewards should keep an eye on him to discourage over-aggressive driving.

  8. Putting aside all the financial and marketing benefits Schumacher can offer a team like Sauber, I still think Schumacher, the driver, deserves a drive in Formula One next year based on a meritocracy alone. I’m glad you pointed out the stat he’s only once finished behind Rosberg, provided he has finished. Obviously some of it is his own doing and largely it’s been the team’s unreliability slipping away points.

    However, I don’t think Sauber is were he should be, provided the immense legacy he comes with. He sadly doesn’t seem to have any other choice.

    A 43 year old man who wants to coast to retirement doesn’t go testing in Magny Cour…

    1. JimmyTheIllustratedBlindSolidSilverBeachStackapopolis III
      29th September 2012, 0:16

      i’d like to add that in regards to this

      “Schumacher was criticised after his embarrassing shunt during the Singapore Grand Prix in which he took out Jean-Eric Vergne. It earned him a ten-place grid drop for the next race as he’d had a similar crash at the Spanish round. ”

      jenson button did the exact same thing on vettel but with out crashing and no ones saying he should retire.

      1. Perfect! I thought exact the same when it happened…

  9. Accidentally picked one; misread the question.
    Could you change my vote to yes please Keith?

    1. *wrong one; misread the question
      Could you change my vote to yes please Keith?

      1. That’s picking a lot of ‘*wrong’ ones today, mate! Just k/d! ;-)

  10. There is very little doubt that Mercedes is getting rid of the faster of the two drivers in 2012. And frankly, there’s no evidence Mercedes would have given him a better car in 2013 than Sauber or Williams could (just saying, the most “likely” options).
    I think the situation is: He’s still a very good driver, He’s still motivated, and a 2013 Mercedes seat could, not at all unlikely, be worth of any other middle of the field seat. He should keep racing, and I’d be extremely disappointed otherwise.

  11. I just ticked the wrong box – duh. Mean’t to tick YES he should carry on !

  12. Yes. He is improving, his 2012 seasons been so much better than 2010, but that’s not showing because of a mediocre car and poor reliability. He is still capable and better than 2/3rds of the current grid. Schumi should go back to Ferrari IMO.

  13. I’m sincerely hoping he stays on with Mercedes in some technical or test driver role. I think a combination of Brawn, Hamilton, Rosberg & Schumacher could be a beautiful thing.

  14. Yes he should continue to race…He proved he still can kick the younger guns *** especially on that uncompetitive cars. Talking about the mistakes Schumacher wasn’t the only one driver that made it even current top drivers prone to error. If in the Red Bull no doubt he will win races easily

    1. Agreed, though I think any of the drivers from the top 4 or 5 teams could have won a race or two had they been in a RedBull the past couple seasons, I think Schumacher could have potentially won an 8th WDC in one.

      The RedBull rise to dominance has almost been a shame really, it has been great for Vettel, but it essentially sidelined the most competitive field F1 has ever seen for a year of the SV show.

      1. Do you guys know if there is a chance he can drive in RBR ? Contracts don’t mean a lot in F1 anyway and I think Michael would be happy to be the number 2 of his friend and countryman Sebastian Vettel (at least he would prefer that better than to be Alonso’s number two) with chances of winning some races to reach 95 even 100 :). Also Schumi driving a Newey designed car would be epic.

        1. could happen in theory but RBR are very happy with their #2.

  15. I don’t look at it in terms of ability, I look at it in terms of timeliness and dignity . He needs to go simply because the time has come. In the recent past we’ve had far too many ageing drivers clogging up the grid and making cringe worthy appeals in the media along the lines of “please I want to stay pleeeeease”.

    There are so many places he could go and drive I just don’t understand the urge to continue in F1 when it’s just not happening for him. Even if he didn’t want to drive anywhere else he is a ludicrously wealthy man. Go and enjoy your $ucce$$ Michael and bask in your position as an elder statesman of Formula 1.

    1. That’s why he should continue. Because despite his financial level he likes racing in the top level!

  16. I’d like to say that Schumacher should keep racing – his pace has been fairly good this year – but I just don’t see the point in it to be honest. James Allen raised the point a few days ago that there isn’t space in F1 for new drivers to get through, and I think that if he moves to a midfield team like Sauber, he’d be slowing down the entire sport. It’s painful to see my former hero get shoved out like this, but I think he should cut his losses now and retire.

  17. I voted no. He is improving, why stop now? If he continues to win races, then any move would make it nearly impossible and he should retire. Knowing he has limited options if he remains it’ll be because he wants to race. As much as I’d like to see him at Sauber it would be a shame to see such a successful driver battling in the midfield every time, unless the team produce an even better car than this year’s. He returned only because he was going to Mercedes, now that he’s out will he continue? Have these 3 years brought him back and have they renewed his passion for racing? If yes he should remain.
    However, I’d like to see Gutierrez in that Sauber. If he can’t take it then I’d like Michael to do so.

    1. @fixy

      I think you, like a few others, meant to vote yes as the vote is “Should Schumacher keep on racing in F1”. It’s a bit confusing it seems, as in the line before @keithcollantine says ‘Is it time for Michael Schumacher to leave F1’

      1. @harry-palmer I’ve changed the introduction text to reduce the chance of anyone making that mistake.

      2. You’re right @harry-palmer! I guess it was my fault, I usually read carefully before voting and this time I must’ve been sleeping! :)

  18. Let see Schuey go back and run for Peter Sauber again. His cars have done quite well for not being a top team. I still think he can do it, and if a team will have him he needs to be out there. He needs to decide when he is done.

  19. The standard argument against Schumacher staying is that he’s constantly damaging his legacy, race by race. I don’t buy that. That might carry some sway back at the end of 2010, but it’s gone way past that. Sensible commentators can separate the post-2006 Schumacher from his predecessor, so to speak, and appreciate him for what he is; a decent F1 driver.

    In my book Schumacher’s 7 championships and 91 victories earn him the right to stay in F1 as long as he wishes, almost like when someone gets given a key to a city. As long as teams want him he should carry on driving.

    For Schumi fans, you don’t know how amazing it is to see him still driving in F1. It’s unbelievably incredibly fantastic and words can’t even describe it! Picture Hamilton staying in F1 until 2028 and you might start to get the idea! If driving for Sauber brings another season for me to enjoy watching my boyhood hero race, then I hope it comes off.

    1. Couldn’t agree more

    2. That’s exactly the way I feel and think about Schumi’s case! It’s as if you were able to read my mind!

    3. I returned watching LIVE F1 racing when Schumi came back. Woke up 1am just to watch him racing. My partner is now happy that I have to cut-off my expensive Sky subsciption when he retires for the last time.

  20. Great post, it’s summed up the Schumacher situation perfectly. He used to be the guy I loved to hate in the 1990s, but now he is my connection to the 1990s and want him to continue selfishly because of that. In my eyes he is the greatest competitor in F1, not due to his records but due to how he has raised the bar to be a world champion in F1 so high. Fitness, knowledge, driver input, media participation, etc, have all been raised so high that it would be no surprise if he was blown out of the water by the Alonsos, Vettels and Hamiltons. But he still has the speed and deserves better than, ironically, being put in a position vaguely similar to Barrichello.

    1. I guess if he bows out gracefully, at least he’ll get a send off in Brazil.

      We all knew, deep down, the Brazil 2011 was Barichello’s last in F1, but he hung on, hoping. :(

  21. I think he still enjoys the racing (though not sure if that was true just after Singapore), and should keep doing it with the results he has been getting. Maybe in a slightly less top team, he feels less urge to overdo it, or maybe he will become more erratic, that is a risk.

    But I don’t think a guy who has 7 WDC’s, despite misgiving I have about the circumstances of some of them, need worry about his reputation as a racer. He just needs to find a team that allow him to fight – maybe Williams to make up for him stealing their 94 WDC ;)
    (right, MAL and BOT seem likely there, so probably not)

    Would be “interesting” to see him at Sauber. they could learn to be a bit more cut-throat at times I’d say! Ferrari would be cute, Massa stepping out to return the favour to his old friend? Aww. But don’t really see MSC as ALO’s backing …

    1. I see no reason why he couldn’t end up at Williams tbh. Lets say Williams decide to get Bottas some experience before they stick him in their car and do a deal with HRT for free gearboxes or something. That way they could take on Schumacher (who I’m sure would be willing to drive for peanuts if its a drive that he wants) and who better to help Maldonado overcome his wild streak? As I recall Massa used to be a bit wild too

  22. Please Micheal, join Sauber, invest some money instead of earning, and show your “friend” Ross Brawn that he is the one getting old.

  23. Schumacher should keep on racing kart, and let one seat to a young driver in F1.

  24. I like his character. He gives F1 a likable image.

  25. I almost clicked on the wrong option!!! Plz change the previous sentence……..

  26. Even if he performs only once a year as well as in Monaco, I’d rather have him over any rookie.
    I’m still a fan of Bruno, but Williams would be my favourite place and Pa$tor won’t move – and is currently faster.

  27. I would love to see Schumi do a one-year swan-song with Ferarri, the team that helped him to so many of his wins and championships.

  28. I voted yes … because he has won in under performing ferrari , he has won in controversial benetton. He has glorified teams over the years and if he goes to a team like Sauber or Williams or (highly unlikely but possible) Force India .. he can bring in victories , if not a championship , and once again show what he is made of. On a slightly offset note … I would just like him to win 9 more races.. complete the Ton and retire as he likes .

  29. I was no Schumacher fan, but the way he has been treated by Mercedes is curious. Let’s hope that he can get a drive for 2013, and by the way the Sauber team has been going this year – way better on recent form than the Mercs – then the 7-time champion could be on to a winner.

    Some of his drives have been specacular, but sometimes he’s just had the worst luck. I would like to see Peter Sauber take him on. It doesn’t really matter about legacy – he’s already got that in the bag. He wants to continue and he should be allowed to do that. It would be great if he could bag a win with Sauber, and it would show the rest of the paddock that he’s still got it.

    Look, I’m becoming a Schumacher fan – I thought I’d never see the day. Go for it Michael!!

  30. Hey guys, don’t write off Ferrari ! What about Schumacher alongside Alonso ? I know this sounds crazy, but i’m sure some people at maranello are thinking about it right now. Let’s wait and see…

  31. M.S is probably the most overrated champion in f1 history, the more he stays the more this becomes more apparent…so yes he should stay.

    1. YES!! The man overrated himself 7 times, yes he will be the most overrated, if by that you mean that he was the man to watch and to beat; Under all the hype and publicity, he was Physically scoring the points that kept feeding the hype. So there is tangible evidence that he was actually breaking all those records.
      Where there better drivers in his time? probably, but we will never know for certain because he kept winning championships and races. where there questionable results that might have changed the outcome? partially, at best, his records still stand to be broken by any one that feels can take a shot at it.
      The man wrote a blank check for himself years ago, and quite honestly he is still a force to be reckoned with, no one has said. “I went flying by schumacher”, even now, a position won to schmacher is well deserved, and i blame his equipment for making it easier on his opponents, you still have to negotiate with him if you want his position, no matter who you are. he still gives the other guys “a run for their money”. I say he has the last word, and if we respect the man, we should abide by his call, he certainly knows better than we do, Do I like to see him still? Again, he puts up a fight to everybody, he races really good. he can put up a show better than when he was always in front, I say we need him.
      I regard to his last incident, count his races, count his mistakes, count his contribution, I say we can write it off.

    2. @notme and you comment is the most overrarted one

  32. i voted YES – Schumacher should stay in F1. Although it is my opinion and dont know what Schmacher is thinking but i would love Schumacher beating the hell of Rosberg in last 6 races and tell the bosses at mercedes that they showed door to the wrong driver.
    Without Schumacher having much alternatives left for him, i am expecting he would announce his ” FINAL” retirement soon.

  33. I just don’t get it why they decided to keep Rosberg? Must be some water-tight contract he has there, because I can’t see no other reason for keeping him instead Schumacher.
    Maybe some nasty stuff on photos, perhaps got hold of Herman Tilke’s box of secrets? That guy must have some serious dirt on pretty much all of FOM and FIA, because those tracks are ***** and yet he keeps getting new gigs!

  34. I think it is great that especially this year,after Kimi returned,we are fortunend to watch the competition between the last 12 champions!!!(is this a record?)And if someone say that Schumacher got 5 of them,(and Alonso Vettel 2),so the champions are 6 of course ,then the answer came alone…Yes,he should drive for as long as he feels “the love of the game”.(p.s:I’m not Schumi’s fan.)

  35. I don’t think he’s been actually racing in F1 very often the last 3 years. He said as much himself. He’s been preserving tyres. Or colliding with other cars, I guess. So no, he shouldn’t start racing now at his advanced age.

  36. I’ve been waiting his retirement since 2000. Can’t happen too early if it happens this year. There are faster, better and younger drivers available.

  37. He should absolutely not retire again or leave f1 again !!!!!!
    It was a mistake for Michael to retire in the first place when he was in his prime at allow massa to stay at Ferrari and it would be the same again now , yes he took awhile to find his feet in this car and even though he is smashing Rosberg this year ( who’s meant to be the next big thing) he would not be happy with his results , and 99.9 % of that is due to that thing Mercedes call a car, firstly I would like to put to Ross brawn – why ask Michael to come back with the lure of a championship winning car when obviously that wasn’t the case,he had to suffer the comments from those who no nothing about f1 in regards to his so called lack lustre performances when with anyone who knows , knows the car was nowhere near competitive, three years later , it’s still the case with a car that suffers higher tire degradation than any other car in the field.yet Michael , being the champion that he is , is outperforming the car and the teammate , he needs to go on , HE NEEDS TO GO ON , he is driving as good now as he ever was , is just as fast and is around the corner from the turning point , where it will all fall into place for him again , he needs to finish at Ferrari, basically where he was born as a 7 time world champion, I’m sorry Felipe , but he bailed once for u and I love u but if I had to choose , I choose Michael , he needs to go back to Ferrari and finish the way it started , back on top, we all know in a competitive car he will be there again fighting for the championship, so give it to him , and as a Ferrari man through and through , I urge Ferrari to offer Michael the seat again to the car that he essentially built and watch what he can do with it , we ow him cause he brought success back to Ferrari. We as Michael Schumacher fans , and there are millions of us , have suffered with Michael the last three years waiting him drive an unwilling Mercedes and listening to stupid people comment on his driving ability when if u had half a brain u would know it was the car , We suffered watching and we want things to be right again,give him the chance to shut up all the critics by giving him a good car and watching the master work his magic, f1 died when he retired the first time and got life again when he returned only for people to spit in his face . The planets need to line up again and Ferrari and Schumacher need to bring the family back together, this is not just my opinion , millions apron millions around the world want the same thing, give him his swan song whether it be next year or whenever in the Ferrari .i really hope someone out there who’s high enough to be in this process reads this , and puts the plans in place because this is the collective view of the world , Michael – please stay , work something out to finish properly ,the way it should be !!!!!!!!!!!!!

  38. Schumacher to Ferrari. Massa to Sauber

  39. I think he is one of the 24 fastest drivers in the world at the minute. And when his car has actually worked, he’s been right up there most of the time. So I’d vote yes.

  40. Schumacher should start the 13th team, and win 2 more WDC/WCC with that, he has got the money, and the speed, get the only other record he doesn’t already have.

  41. Massa to Sauber, Schumi to Ferrari

  42. If he wanted to he could probably go buy out HRT. And with his profile… he could make it work I think…

    And back to reality I come.

  43. love this… YES YES, he should continue

  44. I voted No, because like someone mentioned, there isn’t a winning team available for him. He should be thankful for the opportunities, the wins, the outstanding records broken and find a different way to be involved in racing because its his life. I think like EJ mentioned somewhere, he didn’t properly visualized a retirement the first time.
    Now I feel he will retire out of tangible options to WIN. Unless he enjoys driving for the love of it or because he doesn’t know what else to do in his life like Barrichello. I think B is a nice guy, but I never enjoyed seeing him race.

  45. He’s a 7-time champion, he’s won a million races, he owns all the record, and we’re celebrating because he’s finally keeping up with Nico Rosberg? That he could maybe once have won a race? He’s not actually bad, but he’s not setting the track on fire on a very regular basis. He’s not racing like he used to and he’s not the best driver out there any more. I’d rather watch someone young, hungry, and anonymous try to make a name for him (or her) self than see Michael Schumacher take yet another year of victory laps.

  46. I cannot help but feel the hairs on my back standing, reading the comments in the past 2 days over the Hamilton-Mercedes saga. One recurring theme is that many people have said that they hated Schumacher in his previous F1 incarnation, but this second shot has brought a lot of us to come to like him…and be his fans. As one guy said, he never thought he’d see the day he’d become a Schumacher fan.

    I personally want him to continue, and win races and a WDC. Sauber look like the best bets, followed by Williams. He’d not go to Force India because they’ve just not shown as much promise as Williams and Sauber. Then there’s the outside chance of landing a seat at Lotus or Ferrari.

    Either way, I hope to see him racing next year.

  47. His mistakes of the past 3 years are not one I would associate with the elite of the elite. As someone praised by many to be the best ever, he seems well past that former prime. Without the dominant car or the teammate willing to play the lame duck, his talent is far less flattered. The romanticism some have held for the old maestro seems more like wishful thinking than anything rooted in reality if you ask me. Time to go, Mike.

  48. I voted yes; I’d like to see what he can do in a Sauber, or even a Ferrari. Schumacher is always a tough racer, which is nice for us fans to see. As for Schumacher making way for the next generation of drivers, he doesn’t owe them anything. If he wants to race and Peter Sauber wants to give him a seat, then good for them.

  49. yes he should. Even if its not a major team just stick there and he can do wonders. ALL SCHUMI FANS GOING TO RACES SHOULD CONVEY OUR WISH TO HIM TO NOT TO RETIRE NOW!

    1. WHAT HE SAID!

  50. I don’t know.
    I don’t think that Schumacher wants to retire now and in such a way. I guess he could do another year and then stop racing in F1 for real. But there aren’t many places available. Schumi wants a car capable of winning and we don’t know if Sauber can do it next year.
    If he can replace Massa for one year I’d say that he should keep on. If he doesn’t find a good place I think that he has to retire. I really don’t see why he should drive another year in a midfield team.

    I love seeing Schumacher racing, I think that having the legend of the sport in the current grid means a lot. But I don’t think that he will race for much longer. So he has to find a good car and finish his carreer on a high. He can’t build his own team anymore.

  51. I think Schumacher should continue only if he drives competetive car. And the only available competetive car next year is Ferrari. It should be fantastic if Schumacher ends his carreer in a team, with which he achieved so many titles. He would be faster and more safe pair of hands than Massa.

  52. Schumacher should stay until 100 race wins or he gets another world championship i think this year he has proven hes still got something, but not everything he had in his first career, and he has been unlucky with the team and the car for example china’s pit stop. i think he is just getting back into a rhythm again and to leave now would be a bigger mistake than leaving in 2006. at least he should wait until he gets back to winning ( even if its 1 win so the return not been a waste) and then leave on top. to leave like this is not fitting for a drive of his state-char and talent!

  53. Schumacher was born for the WEC series. He would be so perfect in an Audi e-tron quattro LMP1, and what team are going to say no to Schumacher if he approched them. Schumacher’s options are to stay in F1 with Sauber, go to WEC, go to DTM (where historically ex-F1 drivers have been slow), try his hand in a SLS GT3 or curl up in his Bavarian mansion warm in knowledge that he will be forever remembered as the most successful racing driver ever. I just hope he decides whether to leave F1 or not before Brazil, because if so, Schumacher deserves a real send off in Brazil, which Barrichello was so deprived of.

    1. It’s in Switzerland and its not a mansion, its a castle.
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmmms/3894458450/
      ;)

  54. Sauber : Ferrari engine+easy on tyres+schumacher=formidable opponent any way you look at iit. With next seasons rules being pretty stable it would be a good pairing IMHO!

  55. Schumi should race in F1. Who knows may be ferrari will take for 2013 until vettel joins ferrari in 2014.

  56. Driving a car around a track is a lot of fun. If you can do it and get paid for the privilege, why stop? I don’t see that it has to be more complicated than that.

  57. I voted no. I want to see new drivers, disregard of Schumi finally getting better results.

  58. Voted No because my question has been answered.
    I’ve always wondered whether it was the car or Schumacher that was responsible for that dominance.
    Now it’s clear to me it was always the car.
    Alonso, Vettel and Lewis are all better talented than Schumacher has ever been.

  59. I believe the time has come for Schumacher to hang up his helmet. I’d love to see him still involved in F1, maybe as a consultant or manager within the Mercedes team. But there is a fundamental problem in F1 at the moment which is that there are too many drivers hanging around in F1 for decades preventing new talent from rising up the ranks. Mercedes giving him the elbow in favour of Hamilton is interesting news, but the best thing about it is we have an exciting new talent stepping into a potentially winning car at McLaren.

    Not only would I like to see Schumacher retire from F1 racing, I’d also like to see Massa, Webber, De La Rosa, and a few others retire over the next few years. This current situation where new drivers get maybe half a season to prove their worth in a struggling midfield team before being given the boot if they don’t appear to be the next Ayrton Senna absolutely has to stop. The best way to achieve that is to get rid of these drivers who are hanging around well past their sell by.

  60. Other than sauber I don’t see a place,but they won’t be able to produce a WC winning car.

  61. I voted for him to stay ,I have never been a fan, but I remember his early years ,boy was he quick. Unfortunately you are not able to drive an F1 car like that any more ,if you were ,he would have given us more entertainment during his comeback. I am sure Sauber would love to have him ,go for it Michael.

  62. I voted no; however, there are specific reasons behind that stance.

    First, I believe that he shouldn’t get a race seat at any of the top 5 teams as there are better drivers, who deserve them more. But I also believe that he is still among the best 24 drivers in the world. So I’m not going to be very disappointed if he ends up at Sauber or Williams next year.

    I don’t think that Schumacher’s legacy is going to suffer from average or weak results, too. The legendary Tazio Nuvolari continued to race long after his glorious years had gone, when he was old and ill, yet noone thinks much about the final years of his career today. In 30 years, people will talk about the legendary 7-time world champion Schumacher, not how good or bad his performance in his ‘second career’ was.

    However, if I have to choose between Schumacher, de la Rosa, Barrichello and Valsecchi, Bianchi, Alguersuari as F1 drivers in 2013, I clearly prefer the latter trio. Why? First because I don’t believe that a driver’s presence on the grid today is necessarily a good thing for the sport just because he was great/good 3, 5 or 10 years ago. It’s his shape today that matters. Second and most importantly, I think it’s clear that Schumacher cannot reach too much at Sauber or Williams. He will not become a world champion there and I believe that a race win would be a big surprise, too.

    Moreover, Schumacher himself doesn’t seem to be sure that he wants to stay, if he wasn’t able to give an answer to Mercedes during the summer. That makes me wonder if he still has that much appetite for F1.

    Schumacher’s best years are over anyway and I just rather would like to see a promising and passionate youngster in F1 than a veteran, who still regularly delivers decent (rarely great) performances but otherwise his results are nothing special and there is no hope that that will change much in a year or two that he has left in the sport.

  63. Up to him, be sad to see him slide down the grid though.

    1. It would only be sad if he was under the illusion that wouldn’t be the case.

  64. I’d love to see him keep racing as he clearly has a lot to give still despite his age.

    I think we should all make a facebook page or something to get Ferrari’s attention, that might in someway help them consider hiring him, I mean can you imagine a Schumacher/Alonso superteam!

    As they are surely firing Massa anyway it’s really not a bad idea to hire the old guy for a year or two,
    he’s got the experience, he can still perform, he knows the team and it would give them time to evaluate some young drivers or lure someone like Vettel over from another top team.

    For a short term deal I can only see positives, let’s hope Ferrari does too.

  65. I voted that he should stay. If you look at this season amg mercedes is one of the worsts f1 teams on the grid atm. Their reliability is horrible at best. And even if they manage to complete a race without reliability issue there is tire degradation. Just these 2 reasons make Sauber or Lotus, Williams a better team and even force india. Schumacher is not doing to good this season but its mainly due to MERCEDES AMG not being competitive i wonder why they grabbed hamilton. When they clearly have car problems. Schumacher would be doing better in ANY OTHER TEAM that has a car that has a car that can finish a race. In my eyes mercedes ruined Schumachers come back to f1. Sure he did take some time to get used to the new regulations of f1. But if you look at everysingle race. At the start where you find out what a drive is made off Schumacher have always gained places in the first few laps until either his mercedes let him down or his car ate its tires. As for rosberg i do understand that rosberg is skilled but nowhere near as skilled as hamilton schu or alonso or vettel I dont think he will ever make it. Yea he did win one race this year. Thanks to the DOUBLE DRS advantage over other cars. And if you remember schu is a 7 times champions. Out of those 7 i would say 5 was his pure talent because the ferrari or the benneton wasnt the best car on the grid.
    I wonder how the f1 drivers of today would have faired up against schu or hakkinen in 1999. They would be lucky if they could get less than a second on each lap from either one of them. I would really like to see him at any other team than mercedes next year because a slower more reliable 70 lap car is still better than a faster car that cant finsh.

  66. He should look for a drive as much as the next guy. He clearly still has the talent and the passion…not much else is required.

  67. No. He has had a long career and had more focus from a team + tyre supplier than any driver has or ever will receive. Better to let the younger drivers have a chance in a much more competitive & exciting era. Those Ferrari procession years nearly killed the sport

  68. @keithcollantine I must say that I’m hugely surprised by the overwhelming support for Schumacher in this forum.
    I am very happy with the result, not sure that its really anyones decision other than his personally. My opinion however is that he’s retired once before and didn’t think much of it, so wouldn’t be surprised if he continues next year.

  69. Thats a Yes! from me. It would be a shame if he stopped just as things were starting to look good again this year (mechanical failures aside).
    I think Martin & Crofty’s comments after he ran into Vergne at Singapore were a little unfair (as in his age had something to do with it) as Button almost did the same thing to Vettel shortly afterwards!
    Michael back to Ferrari and Felipe back to Sauber perhaps?

    1. The Ferrari rumours are gathering pace but you have to ask why did Michael not pick up the option earlier in the year. If he was going to retire then it could have easily been done to coincide with Lewis joining the team. So I think he wants to continue and if he does Ferrari is a very logical step. I think the Sauber link is a smokescreen. Discussions with them are more about free engines and Massa.;) Montezemelo would love the drama it created and go on about how the old Michael had returned. :) I believe it’s all about Michael and what he wants in the end. The money generated by merchandising alone from a move to Ferrari would be staggering so money is not an issue. It’s really hard to see a downside.

  70. I’ve been a great Schumi-fan since 1993. There hasn’t been any other driver to be able to catch my attention. The reason to watch Formula One is Schumi’s participation in it.
    I believe that I stated my position very clearly… :)

  71. How about schumacher having one last swan song season at Ferrari…..It has been well publicised Ferrari are unhappy with Massa and with Perez off to Mclaren seemingly, maybe they could sack off Massa and have Schumacher on a rolling 1 year contract. It would also give them time to find a decent team player to support Alonso

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