Schumacher’s Gift for 2010: The World Title

Michael Schumacher claims to be ready for serious matters in view of winning the 2010 F1 World Championship. The seven-time world champion has signed a three-year contract with Mercedes GP starting next season, marking his return to the top category of motor sports after a three-year absence.

While he will be the oldest driver on the grid when the season starts in Bahrain in March, Schumacher stated on Wednesday that he is not returning just for fun. Brawn GP won its first two world titles in 2009, before being bought by Mercedes-Benz. Schumacher then emphasized his desire to add victories and championships to his record.

« Mercedes GP is a team that won two championships this year. With Mercedes Benz as a partner, our goal can only be to fight for the championship. There will be strong competition, as we’ve seen, but I’m thrilled to be back. »

Schumacher signed his contract with Mercedes GP overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. A working relationship with Ross Brawn and Mercedes-Benz was too difficult to ignore: « The call I received from Ross Brawn at the end of November about a possible return to racing was tempting. I never left the track. I was tired of F1 at the end of 2006, but after three years away I return with a lot of energy. I did a bit of motorcycling. I feel ready now for much more serious things. »

Schumacher confirms that there is no doubt about his fitness to return to Formula 1. He is sure that the neck problem that caused him to miss his return this summer will not be an issue: « My neck was obviously an important subject. Before giving my final agreement, I ensured I had worked on it sufficiently. »

« I can say with 100% certainty that my neck is no longer a problem. Unfortunately, my return this summer was too early when I tried with Ferrari. Time has passed, and it is completely healed. »