Thread: Michael Schumacher Is Ferrari's Third Driver ?

The only surprise here is that anyone is surprised. If he's on good terms with management and can provide useful feedback to the technical engineers then there's scarcely a problem is there?

wow

Originally Posted by tamburello

Just out of interest, does that mean that Schumi still has a current super-licence?

Presumably, he would need one to be considered as a 'substitute' driver if one of the race drivers were injured in GP practice and he was called in to cover.

If he hasn't got a current super-licence, then he is 'merely' (word used with a bit of trepidation considering who it is I'm talking about!) a test driver.

My guess is that even someone like Schumi couldn't just fill in a form on the Saturday morning of a GP and get the licence there and then.

Is it only actual competition that requires a superlicense then, testing does not require it?

Originally Posted by tamburello

Testing does not fall under the Super-licence remit. Testing, as far as I know, is not regulated by the FIA except for the limitation on the number of days per year a team can test.

Kimi Raikkonen only applied for his super-licence, which was granted with a performance proviso, after he had tested for Sauber in 2001.

More recently, Marco Andretti tested the Honda without a Super-licence.

TVM.

One of the requirements of the superlicence is that the driver has to compete a certain number of km's in testing, so it's a bit hard to say they need a licence in order to test!
But I would imagine that validating an existing licence for racing is not going to be a problem, after all Williams managed it for Nigel Mansell pretty easily in '94..

You also need a current contract with a team. If Markus Winkelhock could get a licence after half a day's testing the MSC could get one without trouble.

...so long as he had the current contract.

I don't think that is a problem And you don't need a contract, but you do have to be enterered by the team by 4pm (I believe) on the Thursday before a GP weekend.

It's in the rules - you will not be issued a superlicence if you do not have a current contract with a racing team, be it testing or racing. This was a problem for Giedo van der Garde when Spyker and Super Aguri were arguing over him - he couldn't get a superlicence until the FIA knew who he was currently contracted to.

Together with Ferrari's other test drivers, they should have the best technical feedback of any team.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/090120...rari-role.html

Michael Schumacher apparently rejected the opportunity to become Ferrari's new sporting director when the Scuderia reshuffled its technical team at the end of 2007, according to Jean Todt.

Yep there was an article with an interview with Jean Todt about this matter on autosport.com a few days ago.
It seems that MS was the one Todt wanted to be his successor.

Originally Posted by tamburello

My guess is that even someone like Schumi couldn't just fill in a form on the Saturday morning of a GP and get the licence there and then.

I would guess that if SchM were to be called on to drive, a/the super licence would not be an issue. He would only have to send Max and Bernie a text message, and they would reply granting him a licence on the spot.

And why not - gazillions are involved in TV rights/ratings.

Originally Posted by LeonBrooke

It's in the rules - you will not be issued a superlicence if you do not have a current contract with a racing team, be it testing or racing. This was a problem for Giedo van der Garde when Spyker and Super Aguri were arguing over him - he couldn't get a superlicence until the FIA knew who he was currently contracted to.

And how long do you think it would take to write a contract on a piece of paper and for SchM to sign it? Like 5 minutes!! Besides, SchM IS testing, is he not?

Exactly. It'd be easy for MSC to come back to F1 race weekends as a driver - the question is, would he want to and under what circumstances would it happen?

Originally Posted by LeonBrooke

Exactly. It'd be easy for MSC to come back to F1 race weekends as a driver - the question is, would he want to and under what circumstances would it happen?

Nothing he has said even hints that he is even considering racing in F1 again - he's content testing.

Originally Posted by LeonBrooke

Exactly. It'd be easy for MSC to come back to F1 race weekends as a driver - the question is, would he want to and under what circumstances would it happen?

When Massa suffers from an ingrown toenail.

Originally Posted by theugsquirrel

Nothing he has said even hints that he is even considering racing in F1 again - he's content testing.

Until the opportunity arises just to race one more time...just once...just to see...

Originally Posted by ArrowsFA1

Until the opportunity arises just to race one more time...just once...just to see...

You are either going to retire at your peak - full stop, or you retire, have second thoughts and come back in and (potentially) make a tit of yourself.

You will be respected for sticking to your guns, but you'll come across as weak if you are indecisive.......

Originally Posted by SGWilko

You are either going to retire at your peak - full stop, or you retire, have second thoughts and come back in and (potentially) make a tit of yourself.

You will be respected for sticking to your guns, but you'll come across as weak if you are indecisive.......

The way this guy is going, if he did come in for a race, I will bet my sig he makes the front row and finish on the podium.