Triple world champion Niki Lauda believes the rumours that Michael Schumacher will make a Formula 1 comeback next year are highly implausible.
A lingering neck injury forced Schumacher to abort plans to deputise for Felipe Massa at Ferrari during the summer, but he has recently been tipped for a 2010 return with the rebranded Mercedes Grand Prix team.
The fact that the seven-time champion was a Mercedes protégé in his youth, his close ties with team principal Ross Brawn, and the regret he expressed at missing his opportunity to race again have all fuelled speculation that he might be tempted to join Nico Rosberg in an all-German driver line-up.
Schumacher’s spokeswoman has insisted no negotiations are taking place, but Mercedes – which now owns 75.1% of the Brackley-based squad and is likely to have a big say in driver choices – has not denied that it is targeting the 40-year-old.
But Lauda, who walked away from F1 in the middle of the 1979 season and then made a successful return in 1982, finds it hard to believe that Schumacher would make a full-time comeback.
“I don’t believe that there is one single grain of truth in [the rumours], at least from all the signals that I get,” he told F1’s official website.
“There was a window of opportunity after Felipe’s accident and had Michael been fit he would have taken up that chance to race for three or four races – to prove himself, get the adrenaline rush, and see where he stood in the pecking order.
“But I cannot believe that he would be up for a full season.
“Why then he did stop racing in the first place? But that is my personal opinion.”
Lauda believes the Mercedes takeover of Brawn GP will serve the German manufacturer’s marketing interests perfectly, particularly since the team will compete in the iconic Silver Arrows livery made famous in the 1930s.
But the Austrian says that with reigning world champion Jenson Button having defected to McLaren, Mercedes needs a star driver to strengthen its challenge and keep Rosberg on his toes.
“The takeover of Brawn GP was a masterly achievement,” said Lauda.
“Now it is important to proceed in this same manner by having a very close look at the important issue of the driver line-up.
“With the Button departure, Rosberg is at the moment their only driver – a good man for sure, but good men get even better with a team mate that gives them a hard time 24 hours a day.
“That is positive, performance and development-wise.
“They have to be very careful now in their selection, trying to get a top man for the second cockpit.
“Otherwise the advantage will be on Red Bull’s and [Sebastian] Vettel’s side – and they might find themselves riding on Red Bull's coat tails.”