Michael Schumacher mercedes contract has gone from bad to worse
When Michael Schumacher announced that he would be coming back to Formula 1 before the start of the 2010 season after a three-year absence, it was the talk of the sport. He would be coming back with the new Mercedes team and reuniting with team principal Ross Brawn, who helped to guide him to world championships with Benetton and Ferrari and had just led Jenson Button to the title in 2009. It appeared that it might be the perfect opportunity for Schumacher to prove that he still had what it takes to race at the sport’s highest level.
However, Schumacher’s 2010 has gone from bad to worse and it continues to unravel. He has yet to finish on the podium in nine races heading into the British Grand Prix on July 11 and is currently mired in one of the worst slumps of his 17-year career. His last two races have been bitter disappointments: he qualified 13th and finished 11th in Canada before finishing a career-worst 15th at the European Grand Prix in Valencia after qualifying 15th and almost not making it out of Q1.
Despite all of his successes in the sport – including seven world championships and more Formula 1 wins than any driver in history – Schumacher has never been the most popular driver with other drivers or the media, who sometimes believe that the German is cold and arrogant. His recent struggles have been welcomed by many of his sharpest critics and even some other drivers. For example, Lewis Hamilton recently was quoted as saying that he “didn’t expect much” from Schumacher’s comeback attempt and that it was “very difficult to outdo the youngsters” who drove with more fire and passion.
Media members – many of whom have felt snubbed or put down by Schumacher in the past – have also taken the opportunity to slam Schumacher. Some have suggested that Schumacher is tarnishing his legacy by coming back to the sport and struggling so badly and that the whole affair is a symbol of an egoist who could not handle being out of the spotlight. Other media members have suggested that Schumacher’s problems during his comeback prove that his wins were more the result of having the best teams and equipment rather than his own driving skill.
Schumacher hasn’t helped himself during his comeback. He’s frequently blamed his equipment, saying that it’s impossible for him to be expected to contend for victories when his car is not at the same level as the cars available to the McLaren and Red Bull teams. This comes off to some like sour grapes or that Schumacher is putting the blame on other people. It certainly doesn’t help that he’s been outperformed this season by his teammate Nico Rosberg despite having the number one team car and a car that was especially designed to serve his driving style.
Things have gotten so bad that Italian media reports suggested that Renault driver Robert Kubica is being primed to replace Schumacher at Mercedes next season. Brawn quickly dismissed those rumours and it seems unlikely that Brawn would want to publicly embarrass his good friend by convincing him to come out of retirement only to dump him one season later. But the fact that the rumour gained any traction is pretty shocking considering Schumacher’s position within the sport.
Things have become so bad that Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was forced to publicly defend Schumacher and state that Schumacher is doing an “excellent” job based on his three-year layoff. The next few races are a critical time in Schumacher’s comeback. If he can’t turn things around – and soon – he could start to lose his credibility and put his future plans in jeopardy.
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