Hamburg, July 30 (DPA) Michael Schumacher’s return to Formula One to fill in at Ferrari for badly-injured driver Felipe Massa has surprised compatriot Sebastian Vettel.
“I think it’s a big surprise for everyone and will delight a lot of fans to see Michael back in Formula One,” said the Red Bull driver.
“However, things will continue as normal for us and we will have to concentrate on our own issues.”
Seven-time world champion Schumacher announced Wednesday that he would return to Ferrari in the wake of Massa’s bad accident during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend in Budapest which left the Brazilian hospitalised.
The 40-year-old revealed that he had talked with Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and racing team boss Stefano Domenicali and “together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe.”
Schumacher’s last race for Ferrari was October 22, 2006 in Sao Paulo, Brazil and he now has under four weeks to prepare for the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain on August 23.
rounak