Lotus F1 failed with a stunning move to bring legendary Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher back to the sport to fill in for the injured Kimi Raikkonen for the rest of the season.
Schumacher, a former seven time drivers’ world champion has turned down the advances of Lotus F1 to drive their car for the final two races of the season in the United States and Brazil as the replacement for the Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen.
According to a report in a German newspaper which cited an interview in The Associated Press with the German’s manager, the former Ferrari man would have been fit enough to compete in the two races but according to his manager, he has gotten used to his new life and didn’t want to come out of his retirement for the second time.
Michael Schumacher retired from the sport for good at the end of last season after failing to win a single race for Mercedes GP in a comeback that lasted almost three seasons.
Raikkonen has been ruled out of the next two and final races of the season after undergoing a back surgery. He will be moving to Ferrari in the 2014 season where the legendary German won five consecutive drivers’ world championship titles.
Ironically, it was Raikkonen who filled in the vacancy left by Schumacher at his former team after he retired for the first time in 2006. Even more ironical would have been had Michael Schumacher opted to take up the offer of returning to the sport with the team with which he won his first two drivers’ world championships almost two decades back with the team then known as Benetton.
However, the fairytale return for Schumacher and Lotus F1 will not happen and the 44 year old legend will enjoy his time with his family.
