Ross Brawn insists that Michael Schumacher is happy with his retirement decision – and says that it was only made in the last few days.
Schumacher announced his retirement yesterday, some six days after the Lewis Hamilton news confirmed that he had no future at Mercedes.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions with Michael over the past months, six weeks or so,” said Brawn. “And whilst Michael hadn’t made his decision in those early discussions, he came to that conclusion in the past few days. In many ways, it’s a sad moment, when someone of the calibre and achievements of Michael stops racing, but he’s happy with that decision, he’s at peace with that decision, and I think that’s the important thing.
“He’s happy with the decision that he’s made and I think we’ve all got to have huge respect for him making that decision. I think Formula One will be losing someone very important, especially as this second time that Michael came back he had a slightly different approach and I think I saw many fans who were perhaps not quite so enthusiastic during Michael’s first era coming back and really supporting him.
“When he got a podium in Valencia, it was nice to see how much support he had from the paddock. But he’s done a very, very good job for us and we’ve repeated many times that if we’d provided him with a better car then he would have won races. There are some races where he was certainly quick enough to win – this year alone, Monaco – so it’s the passing of an era and one which is hard to imagine anyone repeating the achievements that he’s managed in his driving career.”
Regarding a future management role for Schumacher within the team Brawn said that no decision had been made yet.
“We’ve not discussed that. It’s not something that we’ve explored yet. Michael’s got huge experience and everyone’s got massive respect for him. It’s not possible to say.
“I think Michael’s going to spend a few months just reflecting on – let’s say – this new opportunity he has and I’m sure he will think very seriously about whatever he’ll do, he will do extremely professionally and effectively, but at the moment, no idea what that will be.”
Adam Cooper F1 
At least Ross is now quite open about the car and what a shame for all that what might have been has ended in such an anti-climax. I do hope that Michael doesn’t go and hang around the Mercedes garage, there has to be something more interesting out there! I thought the Paul Hembry offer of Pirelli test driver was beyond patronising since the tyres have been at least part of the problem. Watching qualifying this morning, it was just so sad watching Michael hauling the Mercedes around after so many happy moments in Suzuka but there you go, Life goes on and I hope that Michael can find something interesting to do.
Looking on the bright side, I shan’t have to get up at 5 in the morning any more!.
I have more time for Ross than most team principals but Schumacher has been treated and disrespected extremely badly by Mercedes.
Every indication has been from sources around Michael that he was 99% sure of continuing on. The very fact that his retirement was not announced before the Hamilton deal supports this.
At 9-6 up in qualifying against Rosberg and 7-1 up in races both finished he has clearly had the measure of his younger team mate this year. Despite his car breaking down nearly every race in the first half of the season he never once criticized Mercedes and this is how they repay him.
The least Mercedes could have done was to delay their Hamilton decision a week.