Michael Schumacher is working in a consultancy role for Ferrari this season
|
Michael Schumacher is not ruling out the possibility of standing in for injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa.
The Brazilian fractured his skull in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying and may be out for the rest of the year, while Schumacher, 40, is a Ferrari adviser, the seven-time champion’s spokeswoman told BBC Sport.
“The whole thing will be considered by Ferrari. If they approach Michael, then he will consider it, But there is no reason for him to step into their discussion.”
Schumacher, who retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 2006 season, told the BBC in an interview at the German Grand Prix two weeks ago that he was not interested in returning to F1.
However, his spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said that was a reference to a permanent return.
“Usually, I would say he’s not interested because he’s fine with his life and he doesn’t miss anything but now the situation is so different – it’s very hypothetical – and Michael doesn’t want to step into that [discussion], Michael had a motorcycle accident in February when he had a neck problem – and I really can’t tell you if his neck would be fine to drive an F1 race, If Ferrari asked him whether he would consider driving, he would have it checked – and remember he is a 40-year-old man, too.”
Schumacher’s manager Willi Weber insists the German will not drive for Ferrari in the next race – the European Grand Prix in Valencia in Spain on 23 August. Weber told Germany’s SID news agency;
“Michael will not sit in a car in Valencia, this is out of the question, What would we expect from Schumacher if he stepped into a Formula One car? To win. The expectations from both sides would be too high.”
