F1: Schumacher training hard

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(ANSA) - Rome, August 4 - Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher said Tuesday he is continuing to train hard for his return to racing, well aware that physical fitness will be key to any comeback success.

The 40-year-old Schumacher agreed last week to come out of retirement to substitute Felipe Massa at Ferrari after the Brazilian had a life-threatening accident July 25 while qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Pirx.

The German said his return to Ferrari was out of loyalty to the team which helped him win five of his seven titles and where he continued to work as a consultant after he retired at the end of the 2006 season.

Schu will put on a clinic – Ecclestone

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Bernie Ecclestone reckons Michael Schumacher will teach his younger rivals a thing or two when he returns to the Formula 1 grid in Valencia later this month.

Schumacher is set to race for Ferrari while Felipe Massa continues his recuperation from head injuries, and at 40 will become the oldest driver to compete in a grand prix since Nigel Mansell in 1995.

Schumacher hasn’t raced in F1 since 2006, but Ecclestone is convinced the sport’s most successful driver will be a force to be reckoned with.

“I think he’s going to give one or two of them a driving lesson,” Reuters quoted him as saying on Tuesday.

“He obviously wouldn’t have decided to come back unless he thought he was going to be competitive and Michael is a competitive guy.”

F1: McLaren Prepared To Grant Schumacher

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MERCEDES-BENZ MOTORSPORT Vice-President Norbert Haug said his team is prepared to allow Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher to participate in a one-day test ahead of the German’s much anticipated return at Valencia.

Speaking to Autosport, Haug said McLaren and Mercedes would do all that is possible to assist Schumacher’s return to Formula 1.

“Whatever we can do to support him we will do. I just think it is fair. This is an exception. If Michael had said he would come back under the condition that he could test, everybody would have said yes,” he said.

“His team-mate has thousands of kilometres in this car, and he has nothing. As we are fair players, why should he not get some testing? I would be very open to that.”

Schumacher to end retirement, fill in for Massa at Ferrari

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ROME (AP) — Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is making a comeback for Ferrari to replace injured driver Felipe Massa.

Ferrari said Wednesday in a statement that the German had agreed to get back in the cockpit until Massa is fit to return. The next race is the European Grand Prix on Aug. 23 in Valencia, Spain.

ON THE MEND: Massa takes first steps since crash

"Though it is true that the Formula One chapter has long been closed for me, it is also true that for team loyalty reasons I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation," the 40-year-old Schumacher said. "But as the competitor I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge."

Schumacher F1 return 'not impossible'

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LONDON — Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher could come out of retirement to fill in for the injured Felipe Massa in next month's European Grand Prix in Valencia.

That intriguing possibility was raised Tuesday by the Ferrari legend's spokeswoman four days after Massa's horrific high speed crash in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Brazilian is recovering in hospital in Budapest after undergoing surgery on a fractured skull, leaving Ferrari looking for a stand-in, possibly for the remainder of the 2009 season.

Schumacher, who retired in 2006, is on Ferrari's pay roll yet made it clear in an interview at the German Grand Prix a fortnight ago that he was not interested in making a full time comeback.

But a temporary return, his spokeswoman told the BBC, was a different matter altogether.

"The whole thing will be considered by Ferrari. If they approach Michael, then he will consider it," Sabine Kehm told BBC Sport.

Late May Superbike return for Schumacher

13 May 2009

Michael Schumacher will make his return to the German Superbike championship at the end of the month. The German, seven times a Formula One World Champion, has been out of action since suffering a damaging fall in February.
Having now had over three weeks to recover from his accident, the Schumacher is now ready to make his comebakc to to series in just over a fortnight's time. "Michael will soon test," manager Willi Weber told Bild. "He plans to start his first race of the season on the 29 May at the Nürburgring."

Despite not racing, Michael has been a constant fixture at the Ferrari team this year in order to aid the team's develop of its F60 car, with the new aerodynamic regulations in place for 2009.

Schumi: New rules will improve F1

Michael Schumacher believes Formula 1 will become stronger as a result of the current round of regulation changes and cost cuts.

The FIA and the F1 teams agreed to take drastic action last week to head off a crisis in the sport, as the worldwide financial downturn started to squeeze the teams' finances and led to Honda's shock departure.

In addition to the rules changes already planned – including the return of slicks and the revised wings to aid overtaking – testing will be slashed next year and aerodynamic and engine developments have been further restricted.

This had led to fears that F1 will become less challenging, but Schumacher thinks the championship's new era will be both more competitive and cost-effective.

"The direction of the new decisions is absolutely right in my view and has even the potential for a better show to come," said Schumacher in an interview for his personal website.

"To increase the mechanical grip for example is perfect.

"Formula 1 will still remain the pinnacle of motorsports.

"It will change a bit, but life is about changes."

He added that he was pleased that action was taken so quickly.

"It is clear that something has to happen in the light of the current situation worldwide," said Schumacher.

"I am happy with the fact that the FIA together with the teams have taken the first steps.

"We have to carefully evaluate what to do now, and this is what happens at the moment."

Schumacher slips up in Superbike race

Schumacher slips up in Superbike race

Monday, 19 May 2008 18:04

Michael Schumacher's motorcycle racing exploits struck a hitch at the weekend when he crashed in his first appearance in German Superbikes.

The seven-times world champion has dabbled with two-wheeled racing since retiring from Formula 1, although he is adamant that he is only racing bikes for his own entertainment and has no plans to start a second career.

Despite Schumacher racing under the pseudonym Marcel Niederhausen, word got out that he would be competing in the Oschersleben rounds of the IDM Superbike series.

A large crowd duly gathered to watch him come from 37th on the grid to 28th in the first race, before crashing out of 21st place in race two.

"This was a classic example of how to learn the hard way," Schumacher wrote on his personal website.

"I had just planned an attack on the bike in front, and had chosen quite a narrow gap to get a good exit curve.

"My footrest hitched onto the kerb and I slid off with the bike."

The German legend escaped injury and shrugged off the incident.

"Nothing really came of it, just a few scratches to the bike's exterior, and probably a few good pictures for the photographers who were at the scene," said Schumacher.

"The sad thing was that I couldn't finish the race, but all in all it was great fun.

"A bike race is really quite different from motor racing, and it was really good to hold my own with the field assembled.

"I could have pulled a few places back in the first race, but unfortunately I false started.

"But after that the race was really enjoyable."

The Oschersleben race was billed as a one-off, with Schumacher not offering any details of when he might next appear on a motorcycle grid.