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[vaptin]

[darwin dali]

Mercedes boss Nick Fry has dropped the strongest hint yet that Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher will come out of retirement to race next year.

The 40-year-old last raced in Formula 1 in 2006, but he has been strongly linked with a return to the sport with the renamed Brawn GP team.

Fry made it clear the seven-time world champion was top of his list, saying: "He would be very good for our team.

"The view from inside F1, not just my team, is they all hope it will happen."

Schumacher has been working as a consultant with Ferrari since his retirement, but the Italian team has confirmed they would not block him from joining Mercedes.

And although Schumacher has yet to comment on stories suggesting his move to Mercedes is a done deal, BBC Sport understands his return to F1 as team-mate to Nico Rosberg is looking increasingly likely to happen.

Fry added: "I can't tell you at this stage [if it will happen], unfortunately.

"A number of drivers are still available if Michael were to decide not to drive. Then there are alternatives that we would be happy to go with."

Schumacher almost returned this year as a temporary stand-in for Ferrari's Felipe Massa after the Brazilian's accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the plans were dropped as he had still to fully recover from a motorcycle injury earlier in the year.

However, his neck is now thought to be fully healed, paving the way for his potential return, BBC Formula 1 commentator Jonathan Legard saying: "He's kept himself very fit and this has been in the background for some time.

"I bet if he's keen to do this he'll have at least a month-and-a-half of hard work done already. As I understand it it could happen before the end of the year."

I don't want to say any more, or talk about any plans he might have

Schumacher's spokeswoman Sabin Kehm

Schumacher's spokeswoman, Sabin Kehm, refused to comment, saying: "I don't want to say any more, or talk about any plans he might have."

But compatriot and Virgin driver Timo Glock believes Schumacher's return is a certainty.

"The flame is still there, it's still burning. For me, it is quite obvious he is coming back," said Glock. "There's still a lot of speculation, but in the end he is a crazy race driver and he wants to come back to racing.

"It's not enough for him to just do go-kart races, or go to the Race of Champions at the end of the year.

"For F1 and the fans it would be a big boost, a seven-time world champion coming back after three years out.

"It would be a mega highlight, and to drive for Mercedes, you would have a German driver in a German car."

Eddie Irvine, Schumacher's former team-mate at Ferrari, said the German had struggled to find an outlet for his ruthless competitive streak since retiring.

"He's been bored I think. Very, very bored and he's definitely up for it," Irvine told BBC Radio 5 live.

"I hope he comes back, it will be fantastic for F1.

"In F1, you're on show and got to perform, whereas in the real world it's months or years before you can get the same rush. Michael has been karting since he was four or five so he knows nothing else.

"He tried the motorcycle riding which was sheer madness because he wasn't very good and wasn't getting paid so I never understood that one, but F1 makes sense."

He's not at the peak of his game, but he's still good enough to win races

Eddie Irvine on Schumacher

However, Irvine added that while Schumacher would still have the speed to be competitive, younger drivers such as Lewis Hamilton could have a psychological edge.

"Lewis isn't going to back off, but Michael will have to because he'll be 41. The speed will be there, though he won't be as fast as he was seven years ago.

"He's not at the peak of his game, but he's still good enough to win races as he has such an immense talent. It's still four wheels, a steering wheel and an engine and there's never been anyone better than Michael."

While Schumacher would hope to be towards the front of the grid should he return, meanwhile, Glock has more modest ambitions for next season in a car making its championship debut.

"To beat Michael would be a good year for us, but we have to concentrate on ourselves, and not look at what others are doing," said the former Toyota driver.

"We have to focus on our job, that's what is important."

ORGASM!

Hope you've cleaned up after yourself by now like the good boy you are

[texasmr2]

I missed the 'gasm part, thank god !!!

[7UpJordan]

Looks like we're going to have even more reasons why to look forward to the 2010 season now.

[racechick]

Well lets hope he does return, be cool to watch Lewis beat him

[texasmr2]

Well lets hope he does return, be cool to watch Lewis beat him

[Susaluda]

Well lets hope he does return, be cool to watch Lewis beat him

I agree! I'd like to see Alonso beat him (again) as well

[FerrariFan63]

Returning and being competitive would be a feat in itself at 41 years old.

Anything above that would be the icing on the cake.

If MS returned and was only there or thereabouts, I don't think that would detract from his earlier achievements.

[Jensonb]

Well lets hope he does return, be cool to watch Lewis beat him

I agree! I'd like to see Alonso beat him (again) as well

Not as fun as watching Button beat the lot of them

[schumifan]

I wonder how he will do when/if he comes back. I sure hope he does. Im getting married next year and i've told my fiance we might have to schedule our honeymoon around a F1 race to see Schumi one last time.

[ThomasBVB]

Schumacher wants to return. Mercedes want Schumacher. Now its all up to the medical tests. If he passes them he'll come back. And if you see his results in Karting and Race of Champions etc. he still got the pace. Ofc you cant compare that to F1 but I strongly believe that he still got what it takes to win races. I really hope it happens

[Dutchcruijff]

Bernie Ecclestone says he would “be surprised” if Michael Schumacher isn’t now on the grid with Mercedes in 2010, as speculation surrounding a comeback for the German legend continues to gather pace.

The prospect of the seven-time champion coming out of retirement to make a full-time F1 return with the renamed Brawn team has intensified in recent days, with the German media reporting last weekend that the 40-year-old had agreed to a deal in principle.

Schumacher’s long-time employer Ferrari this week also confirmed it would not hold its former star driver to his consultancy agreement with the team should he want to drive for its rival carmaker.

Now F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has dropped a big hint that a Schumacher comeback is on the cards when asked by The Times if he thought Robert Kubica, in wake of Renault selling a large stake in its Enstone-based team, would become a Mercedes target if the Pole opted to turn his back on his Renault deal.

“Well, they’ve got Michael haven’t they?” Ecclestone said.

“They won’t want Michael and Kubica.”

Ecclestone, who added that he is “absolutely over the moon” about the prospect of F1’s most successful ever driver returning, admits he now expects Schumacher to be back on the grid for the first race of 2010 in Bahrain.

“I’d be surprised if he’s not driving for them but I don’t know if that’s fact,” he said.

“It looks like it’s going to happen.”

Although neither Schumacher nor Mercedes itself have either confirmed, or denied, the growing speculation about a reunion of their past relationship, Mercedes GP CEO Nick Fry this week admitted that the signing of the legend “would be very good for our team”.

Germany’s Bild newspaper reported on Thursday that Mercedes could test Schumacher in a GP2 car in Abu Dhabi before Christmas – as full F1 testing is banned until February and the manufacturer doesn’t have access to a two-year-old F1 car to test him in, as would be permitted under the regulations – before a full medical examination of his neck to see if the injury that curtailed his temporary comeback bid in the summer has now healed sufficiently.

And although there had been suggestions that a Schumacher/Mercedes deal could be announced as early as this week, Bild quoted Mercedes-Benz Cars chief Dieter Zetsche as saying that confirmation of Nico Rosberg’s team-mate wouldn't be made until the New Year.

“We have, in Nico Rosberg, an excellent driver and we will know at the beginning of the new year who the second [driver] is," he said.

I held it in this time

[Jensonb]

Schumacher wants to return. Mercedes want Schumacher. Now its all up to the medical tests. If he passes them he'll come back. And if you see his results in Karting and Race of Champions etc. he still got the pace. Ofc you cant compare that to F1 but I strongly believe that he still got what it takes to win races. I really hope it happens

I've heard the RoC is a bit of a farse, but I take your point. He's still a damn fine racer.

[ThomasBVB]

http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=125498&newlang=&topic=1&catid=1

Rumours linking Michael Schumacher with a return to F1 with Mercedes GP in 2010 are continuing to strengthen.

The renowned French commentator and columnist Jean-Louis Moncet is reporting this week that the German's manager Willi Weber is scheduled to meet shortly with Ross Brawn and Norbert Haug.

There are also further signs that German reports revealing last weekend that a deal is now all but done were true.

The 40-year-old's media manager Sabine Kehm is leaving Ferrari to work full-time with Schumacher in 2010.

"She is leaving Ferrari," spokesman Stefano Lai told Bild, with the newspaper adding that Kehm is to base herself near Schumacher's residence in Geneva.

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.

His wife Corinna told Cologne's Express newspaper: "I trust him to properly assess the risks, and I do not begrudge him his fun."

Express also reports that comeback caps and jackets, and a replica Schuberth helmet painted in silver, are in the process of being produced.

[Rusko]

hope he does come back, will be great to have the GB versus german thing on the grid. and the strong line ups at lotus, williams and ferrari. it's shaping up to be one of the most interesting seasons in years.