Bernie Ecclestone fanned the flames of speculation yesterday over the return of seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher as the man to replace Jenson Button at Mercedes Grand Prix.
Schumacher has remained enigmatic on the subject save for a comment to reporters at a karting event in Brazil last weekend when he replied “who knows?” to questions about whether he was planning a comeback.
Ecclestone told The Times that he was no longer sure what might happen with the most successful driver in the sport’s history.
“I would personally doubt that he’s going to make a comeback but, having said that, it’s maybe getting a bit stronger than a rumour,” he said.
Ecclestone knows that a return for the German legend would be a huge box-office draw for Formula One. “Oh, it would be magic,” Ecclestone said. “You saw the interest he created when he was going to come back after Felipe Massa had his accident.”
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Apart from Schumacher, other drivers linked with the seat at Mercedes, who have already announced Nico Rosberg in one side of the garage, include Kimi Raikkonen, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld.
However, Raikkonen has now signed a year-long contract to drive for Citro?n in the World Rally Championship and it seems that Kubica’s future at Renault is safe, even if the ownership of the team has yet to be sorted out. That leaves only Heidfeld who, like Kubica, was released by BMW Sauber at the end of last season.
Ecclestone believes that if it comes down to a choice between the two Germans, one aged 40 with 91 grand prix wins to his name, the other aged 31 without a victory in ten seasons in Formula One, then it is a no-brainer for Mercedes — if Schumacher is willing to take the risk.
“Well you’d have to pick Michael wouldn’t you?” he said. “There’s no discussion about that. It’s the obvious thing. Whether or not this is going to happen, I don’t know. If I was Michael I wouldn’t do it, but I’m sure he knows he could get the job done.”
Kubica had been viewed as a possible candidate for Mercedes had Renault decided to pull the plug on its Formula One operation before the end of this year.
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However, it is now known that the French car manufacturer is examining the sale of a controlling stake in its team to outside investors in a partnership deal which will see the outfit continue to race in Formula One under Renault colours. Initially there was thought to be one bidder in the form of David Richards, the owner of Prodrive, but then a second consortium emerged, led by G?rard Lopez, a Luxembourg-based businessman.
It now seems there are other bidders. Ecclestone revealed that there are two more groups trying to get hold of the team. “Richards is up against more than somebody,” he said. “There is the G?rard Lopez group, there is David Richards and then there are another two people.”
The Formula One promoter said that he was hopeful a deal will be done before Christmas. “I don’t think there is any big rush to get something done. But the sooner the better for everybody. I hope it can be done within the next ten days and before everybody breaks up for Christmas.”