The day Michael Schumacher announced he was coming back to Formula One, the haters were counting the days until his second retirement. They must be rejoicing today as Mercedes announced they have chosen Lewis Hamilton to take Schumacher’s seat in 2013. this leaves a question mark over the 7-time champions future with some suggesting there may be a management role at MErcedes for the German but Niki Lauda’s appointment there seems to have filled a vital role so where and what should Michael do?
For my money, he should sign with Ferrari or sauber if he wants to continue racing. Schumacher has always said that he wanted to come back because he enjoyed racing and he’s been competitive in a less than competitive car. Ferrari is said to be waiting fo rSebastian Vettel in 2014 and really just need a one-year driver in 2013. Many have the team remaining with Felipe Massa but Schumacher may be a better option having just spent three years at Mercedes. It would also be a huge PR boost to the Scuderia to have the red baron back for a year.
Sauber might be a fun option as well as the team could use the knowledge that Schumacher has but they also need to figure out what they want to do about their lead driver situation. Perez was their number one and no offense to Kamui Kobayashi but McLAren didn’t pick him as a replacement so lets get the formality out of the way…Perez was the more talented driver there. Having Schumacher as a replacement leaves a one, possible two-year option, but they really need to develop Sergio’s replacement and retain Carlos Slims sponsor money and for that, perhaps Esteban Gutiérrez is a better choice.
Should Schumacher leave Formula One, I think a nice spot would be in Le Mans as well. I could be completely off my rocker here but driving for Audi would be interesting. In the end, Schumacher doesn’t have to do anything. He’s made enough money to choke a horse and the only reason he does what he does is for his own personal interest. In the end, staying at home with his kids may be the biggest fulfillment yet. Schumacher said:
“I have had three nice years with the team which unfortunately did not go as well as we all would have wanted on the sporting side,” Schumacher said.
“I wish Lewis well and for the team to achieve the success we worked so hard for in the build-up. I would like to thank the team for their trust and all the guys for their unconditional commitment. I will now concentrate on the next races.”
