There’s a lot of hoo-ha in the British Press at the moment over Michael Schumacher’s “confession” that he is the problem with the German Mercedes GP team. If you haven’t seen the comments yet, here they are, as reported by Top Gear’s online magazine:
“It is a fact that I am a bit more relaxed than before”, he said, “and I do not know if my mindset is right for this team.”
“At some point, we will evaluate whether I continue or stop,” he added.
“If anything, I am the problem,” Schumacher admitted.
Top Gear has since pulled the article, which I accessed late last night, pretty much ending the debate about whether the quotes were true or not. Apparently, according to forum sites, an Italian magazine attributed the quotes to Schumacher, who’s manager then complained that they were rubbish. The magazine has since pulled the story from their news site, and it seems every one else is following suit.
There is now speculation that the young Italian/Scottish Paul Di Resta, currently having a stunning rookie season at Force India, will take Schumacher’s place at Mercedes GP next year, but I would guess that that rumour was given more credence by the fake comments attributed to the German driver.
The fact of the matter is, Schumacher, at 42, is being consistenly outpaced, outqualified and currently sits behind team mate Nico Rosberg in the driver standings. He admitted earlier that the “big joy” of racing is not with him this year, and he must be speculating about his future.
I always say Formula 1 is like a soap opera, just faster and with better looking girlfriends. It really is anyone’s guess what will happen when contract negotiations kick in towards the end of the season.
