Germany’s seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has, for the first time, ruled out a return to Formula One, saying the sport is so fast-moving that it is impossible to jump back suddenly into the cockpit.
”The Formula One rules are constantly changing — the technical side of things; the motors. Once you are out, you are out for good,” Schumacher said in an interview with SZ magazine, a supplement of the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
The 37-year-old Schumacher retired after finishing fourth in the Brazilian Grand Prix at the end of the season. It was his 249th and final race after 16 years in Formula One.
Schumacher had previously said that he may come out of retirement to race again, citing former world champions Niki Lauda and Mika Hakkinen as an inspiration, but now seems ready to settle into the family life.
Schumacher’s autobiography, simply entitled Michael Schumacher, is released this Friday, giving fans the chance to read about the meteoric rise of the bricklayer’s son from the tiny city of Kerpen.
Author Sabine Kehm, a close friend, helps provide a glimpse into the much-guarded private life of the German renowned for his ruthless mentality. — Sapa-AFP