With exactly one month to go before the world’s best drivers descend on London’s Wembley Stadium for The Race of Champions, Michael Schumacher has been warming up for his return to racing.
The seven-time Formula One champion has revisited former team Ferrari in a testing role, setting the fastest time on both days in Barcelona earlier this week despite being away from the sport for one year.
When asked whether the absence would affect his performance in The Race of Champions, where he will compete against fellow motorsport champions including World Rally leader Marcus Grönholm, four-time Champ Car Champion Sébastien Bourdais and double World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx, the racing legend was circumspect.
"Well, of course I hope not!" said Schumacher, who will partner F1 newcomer Sebastian Vettel for Team Germany in the ROC Nations Cup. "It might have even heightened my motivation to drive, as I have seen when testing the F1 for Ferrari. On the other hand you never know; it is clear that practice helps a lot."
Now the German superstar is looking forward to testing his metal again against the best in the world at Wembley Stadium next month, when the national stadium will be transformed into a tarmac race track to facilitate this champion of champions decider.
"I can tell you that I had never in my life a bad feeling getting behind the wheel of a car," said Schumacher, who says he has no nerves about his competitive return. "No, serious again, I look forward to finally get out there. The Race of Champions is just a great event."
Schumacher competed in The Race of Champions 2004 at the Stade de France in Paris. He reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by Heikki Kovalainen, who now drives for Renault F1.
Notes to editors
The ROC was created in 1988 by Fredrik Johnsson and the world’s best woman rally driver Michèle Mouton.
The premise is simple: using identical equipment and track, drivers can prove themselves based on talent alone. The drivers compete in a series of knockout heats in their own division to determine their class champion. Then, in a shoot-out to determine who is the master of motorsport, the winners go head-to-head in a super final. The victor is awarded the title "The Champion of Champions".
Drivers confirmed for 2007 include:
* Seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher
* Formula One star Jenson Button
* Reigning World Touring Car Champion, Andy Priaulx
* Red Bull Racing’s David Coulthard
* Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel
* Four-time Champ Car Champion Sébastien Bourdais
* Seven-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen
* Two-time DTM Champion Mattias Ekström
* Reigning NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson
* Eight-time X-Games Champion Travis Pastrana
* Double World Rally Champion, Marcus Grönholm
* Renault F1’s Heikki Kovalainen
* 1995 British Rally Champion Alister McRae
* World Touring Car Championship star Yvan Muller
This traditional end-of-season showdown attracts spectators from across Europe. For three years the event, held at the Stade de France in Paris, has attracted well over 50,000 spectators each year.
Action from the Race of Champions 2006 was broadcast in over 200 countries and watched by more than 186 million viewers.
