Schumacher comeback not about money

Michael Schumacher’s manager has denied rumours the German pledged to replace Felipe Massa in exchange for a new 5m euros per year contract to retain his Ferrari advisory role. ”No. We haven’t spoken about that yet,” Willi Weber told the Bild Zeitung newspaper.

It has been rumoured that Schumacher agreed to not be paid for his driving so long as Ferrari renewed the consultancy role, but also that the seven time world champion may be receiving a multi-million euro sum per grand prix he substitutes for the injured Massa.

“In all honestly, we haven’t spoken about money and nor will we do so in the coming weeks,” Weber insists. “At the moment that’s not important.”

However, when reminded that a driver managed by Weber has never in the past raced for free, the 67-year-old answered: “And the same is true for the future as well.”

Meanwhile Schumacher kicked off his on-track preparations for his sensational formula one return on Friday, lapping the Mugello circuit near Florence (Italy) in a two-year old Ferrari F2007.

Because of the in-season testing ban, the test had to be handled by Ferrari’s separate ‘F1 Clienti’ department, with the 40-year-old German at the wheel of a privately-owned single seater, albeit equipped with slick tyres.

Behind the scenes however the Maranello based team was circulating a letter to its F1 rivals, asking for a special exemption from the test ban so that Schumacher may try the F60 prior to his Valencia return.

“If they wanted to be fair he should be able to test with the (2009) car at a Ferrari track,” triple world champion Niki Lauda told the Die Welt newspaper.

Indeed, it is believed the FOTA teams, comprising every competitor on the 2009 grid except Williams and Force India, accepted Ferrari’s request.

The aim is to test whether Schumacher’s neck injury, sustained in a motorcycle testing crash in February, will prevent his scheduled return to substitute for the injured Felipe Massa as from the European grand prix at Valencia late next month.

It is also reported that his goal over the next few weeks is to shed a few kilograms. A photograph taken at Robert Kubica’s recent karting event shows the topless Schumacher has visibly toned down his training regime since retiring in late 2006.

Quadruple world champion Alain Prost told France’s Europe 1 radio that he was “very surprised” to hear about the comeback.

“I don’t understand his decision, but I respect it,” said the Frenchman. “Three years ago he stopped, he put on a little weight and he’s getting over his motorbike accident.

“It is a slightly odd decision and a big challenge. Perhaps he just wanted to help Ferrari, because the test drivers Gene and Badoer have done some grands prix but there are clearly not as fast (as Schumacher),” Prost added.