Schumacher To Drive for Mercedes?

LONDON — Is seven-time Formula 1 champ Michael Schumacher about to come back to the sport? BBC Sport commentator Eddie Jordan is saying so. The 40-year-old German is reportedly considering joining the newly renamed Mercedes Grand Prix team, (now known as Brawn GP) in the 2010 season.

The Schumacher return would be temporary, the report says, until Mercedes Grand Prix is able to get Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel onto its team. Vettel is under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2011 season. Schumacher had intended to fill in earlier this year for injured Felipe Massa on the Ferrari team but stopped short of the comeback because his neck was hurt.

Schumacher is under contract as a consultant to Ferrari, the BBC reported, but Jordan wrote that he is looking to be released from that contract to drive for Mercedes Grand Prix "because it is in the interests of F1."

Schumacher has worked with Ross Brawn at Benetton and Ferrari, and Brawn is staying on to head up the Mercedes Grand Prix. BBC commentator Jordan says he believes "Ross and Michael have spoken in recent times and that Michael likes the idea of driving a Mercedes run by Ross."

The BBC quotes Schumacher spokeswoman Sabine Kehm as saying such a decision is "highly unlikely — but never say never."

Inside Line says: A Schumacher return could heal some wounds opened up by the just-announced departure of world champion Jenson Button from the team. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent