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[darwin dali]

Schumacher is currently holidaying with his family on the slopes of the French alps, and is said to be likely to return shortly after he turns 31 on January 3.

Hm, he miraculously turns into a spring chicken again?

[Jabberwocky]

as someone who is 31, YES I AM A SPRING CHICKEN AGAIN

[Gaz]

Schumacher is currently holidaying with his family on the slopes of the French alps, and is said to be likely to return shortly after he turns 31 on January 3.

Hm, he miraculously turns into a spring chicken again?

He's Schui if he wants to go back 10 years in age he can do that.

[scotty]

Schumacher reveals comeback is close

By Tony Dodgins Friday, December 18th 2009, 17:30 GMT

Michael Schumacher has told Ferrari that there is a "very, very, very strong possibility" that he will race for Mercedes-Benz in Formula 1 next year, team president Luca di Montezemolo has revealed.

Although there has not yet been any official word from the Schumacher or Mercedes-Benz camps about the progress of talks in relation to an amazing comeback for the seven-time world champion, di Montezemolo has given away just how far advanced the situation now is.

Speaking to selected media, including AUTOSPORT, at Ferrari's Christmas lunch in Fiorano on Thursday, di Montezemolo shed fresh light on the Schumacher developments.

"I hadn't spoken to him since Abu Dhabi but I spoke to him yesterday (Wednesday)," said di Montezemolo about Schumacher's Mercedes-Benz situation.

"He phoned me and he told me that there is a very, very, very strong possibility [of racing for Mercedes-Benz]. Having said that, it is not 100 per cent decided. But that is what he said yesterday morning."

Di Montezemolo confirmed that Ferrari had agreed to release Schumacher from any remaining commitments he had to the Italian team so he could make the switch to Mercedes-Benz in the event of a deal coming off.

Sources have told AUTOSPORT that a deal between Schumacher and Mercedes-Benz has been agreed in principle, but that the matter cannot move forward until the German has been told by medical experts that his neck is 100 per cent ready for an F1 return.

Schumacher hurt his neck in a big motorbike accident earlier this year, and it was the legacy of that injury which forced him to abandon a comeback for Ferrari in the middle of last year.

Once Schumacher has got the medical news that he and Mercedes-Benz need, then it will be a matter of finalising his contract prior to an announcement being made.

Di Montezemolo said that he believed that it was a 'new Schumacher' who was pursuing a future with Mercedes-Benz.

"The real Michael Schumacher always told me he would finish his career at Ferrari," he said.

When asked what he had said to Schumacher during their conversation, di Montezemolo paused before saying: "Don't forget that when you start collaboration with a driver as long ago as we did with Michael, in 1995, over 14 years ago, you are also a friend.

"You can agree and disagree but you remain friends. I won't forget what he did for Ferrari and he won't forget what we did for him."

Di Montezemolo also spoke at length about the struggles Ferrari faced during 2009, having been unable to take the challenge to title rivals Brawn GP and Red Bull Racing.

"All our car architecture - the dimensions of the gearbox, everything - was based on a different interpretation of the rules and, also, we were pushing very hard until the last corner of the last race of '08," he said.

Di Montezemolo also admitted that the season had marked the closest point in his experience to seeing Ferrari quit F1.

"This year was the only one moment since I became chairman in 1991 that I was really minded to stop F1," he said. "It was the unanimous decision of the board that there was too much credibility being lost, too much polemics over the rules and not enough research.

"Now I say thank God that everything is over although we paid a big price because not to have Toyota and BMW and to have Renault in a different situation is not good for F1."

[Stealthgate007]

I think Schui's comback is gonna help everyone, even Ferrari, because back and forth with Alonso is gonna be awesome. Di Montezelamolo can't really fault, or be angry with Michael as his points are really valid. If you are friends you, you are still friends with someone if they change jobs or companies.

[cheekybru]

next season is gonna be ace if this dosnt happen, EPIC if it does

(edit : only if lewis wins )

[vaptin]

It looks certain now, ah well. But I won't be supporting him.

[texasmr2]

From Crash.net

Michael Schumacher will receive a salary almost three times higher than that which Ross Brawn had been willing to pay reigning F1 World Champion Jenson Button, should he indeed put pen to paper and join Mercedes Grand Prix in 2010 to complete what has been described as ‘one of the greatest comebacks in sport’.

It was reported in a number of German publications at the weekend that Schumacher and Mercedes – formerly Brawn GP – had in principle agreed terms for the most successful driver in the top flight’s history to return to the grid next season alongside young compatriot Nico Rosberg in an all-homegrown ‘super team’ [see separate story – click here].

However, whereas it had initially been understood that the offer on the table was somewhere between £3.5 million and £7 million – similar to the figure of between £4 million and £8 million bandied about regarding the deal presented to Button – the Daily Mirror now reveals that Schumacher will likely take home an annual pay packet of some £20 million, the highest retainer in the sport following the departure of 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, albeit still £10 million less than he was paid at Ferrari.

Adding further credence to the rumours, the Scuderia’s president Luca di Montezemolo has admitted that the 91-time grand prix-winner’s three-year consultancy contract is ‘not binding’ and that Schumacher is ‘only a dear friend, not a team member’ [see separate story – click here] – and doctors have given him the all-clear to make a famous return, now that the neck injury that ruled him out of replacing former team-mate Felipe Massa back in the summer has healed.

Should the extraordinary coup to lure the 40-year-old back into competitive action indeed come off, Mercedes will have fulfilled its promise to re-enter F1 for the first time in more than half a century with a star-studded driver line-up – only after paying Jordan Grand Prix a comparatively miserly £125,000 to ensure Schumacher of his debut in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps the best part of two decades ago, it appears the Stuttgart manufacturer will have to shell out rather more second time around...

Perhaps this scenario was already in the works and is the reason why Ross would not meet Jenson's salary request????????? I'm starting to think that the stars in F1 may have truelly aligned and we MAY be witness to a historical event. Even if one does not like MS there is no reasonable argument that it will not/might not be a great spectacle for us as F1 fans and could add more cement to the foundation of F1 as a whole.

tex

[vaptin]

Mercedes have more cash to throw about then brawn, and their German and Michael must be a German superstar

[darwin dali]

Mercedes have more cash to throw about then brawn, and their German and Michael must be a German superstar

And he'll bring in a lot of advertising dough: can you imagine an ad with him pulling up to a gas station in a Mercedes instead of some measly FIAT?
Maybe he'll agree to some fun ads with MH as well?

[McLaren]

I'm going to laugh so hard when he has his fitness test early next year and the neck fails again

[texasmr2]

I'm going to laugh so hard when he has his fitness test early next year and the neck fails again

I hope he proves you wrong .

[Monzilla]

God i'm so pissed off! andI disagree that it would be good for F1 to have Schumacher back...
1,It would be predictable and dull as ditchwater if he started soaking up all the wins again. Or
2, itwould be tragic to see a once great driver make a fool of himself.
It would also make the driver market stagnate as regards the advancement of new talent,

Well at least since Nico Rosberg has already signed his contract he wouldn't be obliged to hand over all his track positions places and points to Shumacher like most of Schumachers other 'team mates' would he.....would he?

[texasmr2]

Seem's as if 99% of you are reading too much into MS's possible comeback, I'm 100% sure it would be different if it was Senna making a comeback. The plot has beeen lost once again .

[darwin dali]

Seem's as if 99% of you are reading too much into MS's possible comeback, I'm 100% sure it would be different if it was Senna making a comeback. The plot has beeen lost once again .

Senna zombie F1, now that's novel