It's official: Schuey rules out return to serious motorsport

from www.heraldsun.com.au

MICHAEL Schumacher ruled out a return to serious competition yesterday after losing to Sweden's Mattias Ekstroem in the multi-motor sport "Race of Champions" final at Wembley Stadium.

The retired seven-time Formula One world champion, who tested with Ferrari this year, said the fun event had not whet his appetite for competitive racing.

"I will invite him to drive in DTM with me," joked Ekstroem, a double German Touring Car (DTM) series champion who also won last year's event at the Stade de France in Paris.

But Schumacher, who turns 39 in January, was the star in an event that brought together some of motorsport's leading lights.

"We come here to enjoy ourselves, to be here for a good reason - for the ICM project - and to race," Schumacher said.

"We do this as good as we can and sometimes one is better than the others. We all can live with this because it's not a championship, it's no pressure. If you do it, perfect, and if not, no problem."

Schumacher was an earlier winner when Germany beat Finland, with new McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen in the driver's seat, in the Nations Cup team event final.

The German paired with Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel to sweep past the England team of Jenson Button and World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx.

Schumacher then beat Honda F1 driver Button in the individual event.

Vettel saved Schumacher's blushes after the Ferrari great stalled in his heat against Kovalainen.

The youngster beat former world rally champion Marcus Gronholm and Kovalainen in the final decider.

Organisers said 50,000 tickets had been sold for the event's first appearance at the home of English soccer.

Asphalt covered most of the turf, with some of the pitch markings still visible on the infield.

Race of Champions organisers paid tribute to the late world rally champion Colin McRae, who died with his young son in a helicopter crash at his home in Scotland in September.

From me:
Schuey will still test for Ferrari in the future.

Gee! That came as a surprise - NOT! If only Brocky actually retired when he saud he would, he may still be with us...