Brawn rules out Schumacher return

• Nico Rosberg confirmed as first nominated Mercedes driver• Fellow German driver Nick Heidfeld likely to join RosbergMichael Schumacher's return to Formula One was effectively ruled out today when Nico Rosberg was confirmed as Mercedes-Benz's first nominated driver for next season's world championship.From the moment Jenson Button, having won the title for the team as Brawn, signed for McLaren last week there had been mounting speculation that Schumacher, who will be 41 next year, was considering a comeback to spearhead the official return of the "Silver Arrows" to grand prix for the first time since 1955.However, Ross Brawn, the Mercedes team principal, made it clear that Schumacher would not be picking up the threads of a full-time Formula One career that ended in 2006, even though he gave serious consideration to taking the role of temporary stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa at Ferrari this year. This plan was thwarted by a neck injury sustained earlier in the year in a motorcycle testing crash."The issue now haunts the media, I know," Brawn told the German newspaper Bild, "but there is nothing in it. The media are trying to put together a dream. Michael would have returned to the cockpit for Ferrari but only temporarily. He has no ambitions to start a new career."If we get a combination of two equally strong drivers, then the strategy will be different than if you have a winner like Michael. Following Button's move to McLaren, we will think differently. My desire is to find two experienced drivers. Nico Rosberg has more than three years in Formula One, so I count him to be experienced."Brawn seemed to be steering speculation in the direction of Nick Heidfeld, another German driver, and one with 167 grand prix starts under his belt. "I do not want a novice who must find his way around racetracks because we have very few opportunities to test drivers now. Performance without much practice is therefore the task. The good thing is we are not in a hurry."Formula OneMichael SchumacherBrawnMotor sportAlan Henryguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Button's best future is with us, says Brawn

Ross Brawn broke his silence yesterday to publicly address rumours that Formula One world champion Jenson Button will join rival team McLaren next season.

Schumacher sets sights on eighth title

• German signs one-year contract with Ross Brawn's team• Schumacher will be 41-years-old upon return to trackMichael Schumacher believes he can win an unprecedented eighth Formula One world championship next season after confirming that he will come out of retirement to drive for Mercedes.Schumacher, who will be 41 on 3 January, has signed a one-year contract, with options for a further two seasons, to partner Nico Rosberg at the former Brawn team. Brawn GP collected the drivers' championship, through Jenson Button, and the constructors' title last season and Schumacher is targeting identical success for the rebranded squad."I have won it seven times and I'm with the team that won both titles last season, so what do you expect?" he said. "You can't expect anything else other than to go for the world championship and that's what we are aiming for."Schumacher secured the last of his championships with Ferrari in 2004 and has not raced in Formula One since 2006. The German will be the grid's oldest driver. Button, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, three likely title rivals, will be 30, 25 and 22 when the season starts.A neck injury sustained in a motorcycle accident in February ruled out Schumacher's proposed comeback for Ferrari last season as a substitute for the injured Felipe Massa. But he has no doubts about his fitness or competitiveness in joining the Mercedes team run by Ross Brawn, who managed Schumacher's seven world championships at Benetton and Ferrari."I am absolutely confident I can do what's necessary," Schumacher said. "When I returned to the go-kart [for a recent race against F1 drivers in Brazil], I straight away was on the pace. Now I have to prove it in the real car and go wheel to wheel with many of those guys."The motivation is pretty straightforward. I got a call from Ross at the beginning of November asking me to race again, telling me Mercedes were going to be involved. That seemed pretty good to me. I was tired of F1 by the end of 2006 and three years' absence gave back all the energy that I'm feeling right now. Having played around with motorbikes and go-karts, I feel ready for some serious stuff."Before I gave a final OK, I had to be sure 100% that there were no further issues with my neck. Unfortunately it was too close to the accident in the summer when I considered going to Ferrari after Felipe's accident. But the time is enough now to heal [the injury] completely. I have tested everything that I can and I have no problem whatsoever now."Brawn said the renewal of his association with Schumacher did not come at the expense of Button, who has joined Hamilton at McLaren for 2010. "We made a big effort to keep him but it wasn't possible in the end," he said. "I had a loyalty to Jenson but, when that started to look difficult, I started talking to Michael."Brawn said he had let Schumacher answer questions about his motivation and speed following a long absence from such a competitive arena. "I trust him implicitly and he told me he can do it. He has always been his own best critic, the man himself knows what he is capable of. I am very comfortable and confident and put my trust in Michael, and it won't be misplaced."Schumacher's lengthy list of records includes the most world titles, most race victories (91), most pole positions (68) and highest number of wins in one season (13 in 2004). His return with Brawn severs a 14-year connection with Ferrari, Schumacher having spent the past three years as a consultant and ambassador there."The only reason I seriously thought about my return is because it is old friends that have asked me. Working with Ross and Mercedes is now possible and I'm happy to give something back that Mercedes gave me in the early days," he said, referring to its support for his career before he reached Formula One.Hamilton welcomed the chance to race Schumacher, whom he described as "a legend". He said: "I used to watch Michael race when I was in the junior categories and I always hoped that I would be in F1 while he was still around. I'm really looking forward to seeing him on the track and back at the top. It's brilliant news."Michael SchumacherMercedes GPFormula OneMotor sportMaurice Hamiltonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Mercedes hope to keep hold of Button

Mercedes will bow to Ross Brawn's wishes and negotiate to keep the world champion Jenson Button as a driver next season, a team source has confirmed.

Button expects to double his money

• New world champion wants to stay at Brawn• 'This team is not a one-hit wonder' says ButtonJenson Button is set to double his salary after winning the world championship in Brazil on Sunday. The Englishman wants to stay with Brawn to prove he is no "one-hit wonder" and become the first British driver to win back-to-back Formula One titles and he expects a significant pay rise to reflect his new status.Button took a £5m pay cut at the beginning of the season to help the Brawn team, who had risen from the ashes of Honda. He is believed to anticipate, at the very least, a return to the £8m level he had originally been promised for 2009. Button said yesterday that he wanted to stay with Brawn, having been with the team in its various forms since 2003."This team is not a one-hit wonder. And neither am I," said Button. "I would like to stay with Brawn. The team might have changed names and it might have shrunk in size but I love the atmosphere of this team and the way that we all pull together in the difficult times – and we've been through a lot of difficult times in the past. We've enjoyed our success and we'll enjoy this like you cannot believe."Button has been encouraged by the advanced plans for the 2010 Brawn-Mercedes under the highly-regarded team principal Ross Brawn. "They've been working for a long time on next year's car and I think that comes with good leadership," said Button. "Ross knows that winning the championship this year is so important for this team and for himself. But he also realises that we don't want to be a one-hit wonder. This is a team that's going to stay strong."I've read a couple of things in that people are very positive about what the team has achieved this season but they're expecting us to be a good team next season but not challenging for wins. I don't agree with that. I think you will see the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull at the front – and you will see the Brawn GP car at the front challenging for wins as well. I want to be a part of that. I want to arrive next season with No1 on my car – and I want it to be a Brawn."Button said he had not discussed his future with the team while focusing on winning the championship. Negotiations are unlikely to begin until after the final race in Abu Dhabi on 1 November. He will not demand wages on a par with Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 world champion who earns about £12m a year at McLaren."We've been waiting until now [winning the championship] to discuss the future. It's the perfect thing to do," said Button. "It was nice to be able to concentrate on every race this year, especially at this part of the season when maybe the car wasn't as competitive as it was earlier. To be able to focus on that and now that we've won the world championship we can start talking about the future."It's not about the money. I want to be with a team that can win. I have become world champion with a team that nobody ever thought would win the championship, especially in their first year but there are many things that we need to talk about. It's not 'I want this, you can't give this, but I want this.' It's just about coming to an agreement and starting talks for next season. We've achieved so much together, we respect each other very much and it's just that the talks haven't taken place; that's it, really."Nick Fry, a director of Brawn GP, said the Brackley-based team were just as keen to retain Button's services as he was to stay with them. "He wants to be with us and we'd like him to stay with us, so that is a good starting point," said Fry. "From that position then usually compromises can be found. I wouldn't like to say how far apart we are in money terms but it's a bridge that can be crossed.""It's great to win the world championship and every person that's done it will tell you that," said Button. "But to be able to defend it is exceptional. No British driver has ever won back to back titles – so that's an ambition.But at the moment I'm not thinking about that. At the moment I'm the 10th British world champion and in 2009 I'm the only Formula One world champion. And that's what I'm enjoying at the moment. I'm going to have a smile on my face for many, many more days. I'm not going to get into talks about next year right now; I'm just going to enjoy this moment."Formula OneJenson ButtonBrawnMotor sportMaurice Hamiltonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Emotional Brawn hails team effort

Ross Brawn paid tribute to staff past and present who helped turn a team on the brink of extinction into Formula One world champions.