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User avatar
By Irv the Swerve
#3034
Ferrari plans to give retired Formula 1 superstar Michael Schumacher a "super-assistant" role to support its newly-promoted CEO Jean Todt.

According to the Frenchman, who will continue to attend races "for the time being", the seven-time world champion's unique understanding of racing makes Schumacher the perfect muse in matters of driver selection, sporting decisions and even the direction of the firm's road car plans.

"Michael has always been interested in following young drivers," said Todt at Ferrari's end-of-season celebrations at Monza.

"I remember Michael talking to me about Felipe [Massa] when he still was in lesser series.

"He also talked to me about Kimi [Raikkonen] before he entered F1 so he has a unique eye, and it will be important to allow us to make choices on the drivers of the future and also to follow the current drivers."

Todt added that Ferrari wanted to take advantage of the wisdom and experience gleaned over 11 years of competition together at the highest level, in which Schumacher and the team amassed 11 drivers' and constructors' titles.

"Michael is one of the greatest drivers in the history of motor racing," he said.

"He has a unique knowledge of racing, so we'll try to take advantage of his knowledge in the best way to take choices for the team at a sporting and technical level.

"He won't have any particular obligation to be present neither in the factory nor at the races nor at private tests."

But Schumacher said that while he was happy to work with Ferrari in the future, right now all he wanted was a break before deciding on his next career step.

"I don't think now there is any need to specify in concrete terms exactly how and what [I will do]," he said.

"I am very happy to be involved in these ways [described by Todt], but I look forward first of all to get this reset I was talking about since announcing my retirement.

"I wanted to get some distance from everything in a way and this distance I will take through the next months and then I will have a much more clear point of view on exactly what I would like to have.

"I just want to first of all experience a different kind of life and then I want to understand what exacty is what I want."

Ferrari's president Luca Montezemolo said at the press conference that "Michael will be a super assistant to Jean Todt."

"I'm very happy that Michael will continue to work with us and to share our choices and contributing to them and this is important," he added.

"Even if he won't be inside the cockpit, his experience and his professionalism will be very useful for the future of Ferrari."(itv/f1)

Good to see him back again :)
User avatar
By darwin dali
#3035
So, let's see: will he be jumping around like he used to when a Ferrari driver wins? Especially if the team decides that he gets the constructor trophy on the podium at a certain race such as Monza or Germany.

To all who predicted that he'll be forgotten soon: BS! As indicated above, MS has so much more to give to F1 in the future and if he decides to go this path, he'll be a celebrity for life. Who knows, he might end up as a big kahuna with the FIA or BE down the road.
User avatar
By Irv the Swerve
#3036
So, let's see: will he be jumping around like he used to when a Ferrari driver wins? Especially if the team decides that he gets the constructor trophy on the podium at a certain race such as Monza or Germany.

To all who predicted that he'll be forgotten soon: BS! As indicated above, MS has so much more to give to F1 in the future and if he decides to go this path, he'll be a celebrity for life. Who knows, he might end up as a big kahuna with the FIA or BE down the road.
It would be great to see him on the podium collecting the constructors trophy and Alonso on the same podium as well, in third place. :)
User avatar
By darwin dali
#3037
Did you see this?


Montezemolo added that Schumacher can make a proper Formula One return for Ferrari 'at any time'.
User avatar
By darwin dali
#3038
Also:

Montezemolo also rejected talk that Michael Schumacher was pushed out of Ferrari in favour of Kimi Raikkonen by insisting that the 37-year-old actually advised Ferrari to sign the Finn.

"The first time we spoke about (Raikkonen) was when he saw him testing for Sauber at Mugello.

Michael recommended him to me," he said.

And to a reporter's query about why Ferrari did not consider Fernando Alonso as Schumacher's successor, Montezemolo added: "Raikkonen has a character and a style that fits with us better."
User avatar
By Irv the Swerve
#3039
:shock: but the question is, will Schumacher be in that cockpit racing again and i dont see it happening in the future, unfortunately.
User avatar
By darwin dali
#3041
Probably not - he's achieved EVERYTHING. He's got other things to give to Ferrari that nobody else can. Driving a car around a track can be done by the young new drivers.
User avatar
By Irv the Swerve
#3042
Agreed, has any former World Champions have had this kind of role before? I dont think so?
User avatar
By darwin dali
#3043
NL comes to mind.
User avatar
By Irv the Swerve
#3045
Oh, the great Niki Lauda. Did he follow any young drivers through the ranks to F1?
User avatar
By darwin dali
#3049
Stephen, I hadn't pegged you as a chauvinist :mrgreen:
User avatar
By Stephen
#3050
Anything for publicity, eh Stephen :wink:


Why not! ;) And if some of you want to write articles for the main site, let me know! :)
User avatar
By darwin dali
#3051
I could write somtin' about pit babes, but then the censoring hammer will come down on me when I describe how a babe went down on me :mrgreen::twisted::mrgreen:

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