German Car Forum

Read it and...I don't know what to say


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LONDON - BMW has dangled hundreds of millions of dollars in front of motor racing star Michael Schumacher to drive for its Formula 1 team, which would be one of the industry's biggest marketing deals to date.

F1 Racing magazine has discovered secret talks between BMW, which last year bought the Sauber F1 team and is currently racing as BMW Sauber, and Schumacher's manager Willi Weber about signing him from Ferrari, with which he is contracted until 2007.

The seven-times F1 champion is 37 years old and is expected to retire soon, but could be tempted by what is claimed to be a possible $1bn payday offered by BMW.

He would be paid a $100m retainer, but extra money from merchandising, product endorsement and performance targets could take that to 10 figures.

BMW wants to build a big marketing campaign around the German driver, whose global and local relevance would provide a powerful pull for the brand. Schumacher has already appeared in marketing for brands such as Ferrari and Vodafone.

BMW Sauber F1, with drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld, is currently sixth in the 2006 constructors world championship. Schumacher is second in the drivers championship on 79 points, 17 points behind leader and current World Champion Fernando Alonso.

The full story is in the August issue of F1 Racing, due out tomorrow.
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Wow ...if Schumacher does not take this offer .....BMW can call me ...I'll do the "dirty work" for a billion dollars

I hope this won't happen. I don't want to see M$ behind the wheel of BMW powered F1 car.

Yep, I'd actually want Alonso and/or Kimi.

None of them! Bring back Montoya behind that wheel!!!

Part of me is very enticed by this idea, and another has second thoughts. It could be either a fiasco, or a big coup for BMW's long term F1 plans.

Tell you what - If it makes for a more exciting and sensational F1 then count me in. I'm optimistic about this news.

Personally I see this as a big lie.

Firstly BMW Sauber have openly stated that their goal for the next 2 or 3 years is not to win the championship, but to learn and improve. In fact the planned extensions of the Hinwil plant haven't even been started. I recall that Mario Thiessen said that even next year they are only going to start striving for podium finishes, but are definitely not in the hunt for the world championship.

On the other hand, there is Michael Schumacer who is getting way too old and is on the verge of retiring. He has openly stated that the only reason he is going to stay on in F1 is to win the championship one more time. Basically if MS and BMW join together, there is no chance that MS will win the championship because BMW is in a learning phase, and given his age, when BMW really do start to become front-runners, MS will be pretty much be past the peak.

Besides, its not like MS needs the money. Rumour has it that his latest contract with Ferrari is worth $60 million, not including sponsorship and endorsements, which would in total be worth around $200 million (don't hold me to those figures, I'm not too sure). On top of that his income is taxed in the lowest bracket, because in switzerland (where he lives) he is considered unemployed since car racing isn't a recognized job.
Plus it is said that he doesn't spoil his children at all, and wants them to learn the value of money, I read somewhere that he only gives them like $10-20 Euros pocket money a month. Although supposedly he has a go-kart track at the back of his house. So its not like he's got a use for it (not that, that has stopped people in the past trying to get richer)

This is rather interesting. I never saw Mikey leaving Ferrari just because I knew that Ferrari would do antying to keep, but then again you never know. If he leaves that would be good for BMW, I don't see why not.

I was a big fan of Montoya and still am but isn't he in the Nascar seen?

Also, who wouldn't want to see Michael drive for BMW. That would be awesome. BMW would kick some arse! Then again there is only so much Mikey can do because it is also dependent on the staff and the car and many other contributing factors which many of us may ignore when considering Michael for a position such as this one. I think he is the best race car driver in the world. He is like a Michael Jordan, but in race car driving.

I really don't have mixed feelings about this. Now, if Montoya was in the BMW team and BMW was trying to get Michael in, then that would be a very weird pair because of their past. They both really don't get along.

I guess we will have to see if this is a joke or if it is real.

Hmmmm.... he is pretty cheap


Why does he live where he lives rather than living in Germany where he is from?

Me, myself and i! Just can't imagine that and as already stated wouldn't want that to happen!

Hmmm. Care to share why you feel that he shouldn't drive for them? All you say is that you wouldn't like it, but you never state why? Would it hurt the image of BMW? What do you think?

No, no, my friend, BMW's image doesn't have anything to do with it. Although i don't doubt that BMW would like to have him as their driver, he's German after all.

It hurts BMW's image as far as Tycoon is concerned; BMW Power + M$ - No way! BMW Power + Montoya - that's the way to go!

Sorry, man, still sad 'cause Montoya left... Ever since he left BMW and Williams and moved to McLaren...

I miss Montoya so much Tycoon you have no idea. He really stood a chance of beating him, although I know some would argue against that.

Same here, my friend, same here... The day he announced he's leaving was the saddest day of my life together with the day when AS died...

Those who want to argue with facts i don't want to listen at all what they have to say about him.

Must be a rumour. One billion is competely unrealistic. BMW is a very savy operator. There's no way they would pay him a billion. He's not worth it.

Tycoon, or anyone else that may know, is it true that Montoya is at Nascar or going to Nascar?

I personally think that is going to be cool, in some way or form. I prefer F1 over anything but Nascar is growing here in America, even though I don't like it that much. It is the second sport only to the NFL. Thank god!

He may think he is. I mean, look how much Ferrari is paying him!?!?! It is crazy! I don't know, but if BMW is that desperate I could see them paying him more than 60million, not a billion, but more than 60 million. You are right. A billion is just to much money for a race car driver or for anyone for that matter.

It has been said that he signed a few years contract with some team, no idea what team 'cause i have no clue about Nascar.

I just cant picture MS wearing the BMW overalls, somehow it looks wrong .. same case with MS wearing Mclaren overalls. He has been at ferrari for long time and should stay there, plus I dont want a cheat driving for teams like McLaren and BMW. The results and statistics might back him but I dont think he has a lot of respect from a lot of people.

You are right. He is a cheat in some way or form. He has a tendancy to 'bend' the rules in his favor. He had issues with Montoya because of this.

I don't see how this is possible. I'm a huge Schumacher fan and I enjoy reading about the business side of F1, but this $1 billion for Schu is impossible.

A couple of things. Schu is a conservative guy and sort of cheap. I've also read that he gives 10 Euros a month to his kids. He does have a new mansion in Switzerland. He's lived there for years. German taxes are as high, if not higher, than Canadian tax! In Switzerland, he pays tax based on living expenses and not his real income. According to Forbes magazine, he makes about $60 million today. He's scaled back endorsements. He makes probably as much from his Michael Collection of products. In total, I think I've read that he earns about $100-120 million US.

Anyway, he is 37 so how could he make $1 bln from now? His fortune is estimated to be worth about $700 million US from 10-years of racing for Ferrari. How will be make $1 bln from the rest of his career? This article is just BS. How will BMW pay him? If his wages are $100m, where's the rest coming from? A typical bonus for winning the driver's championship for Schu is about $10-15 million. Will BMW give him a cut from each car sale? I'd love to get a copy of that article tomorrow.

I think BMW is forgetting the old adage in F1. An old team owner sold his team and a reporter asked, "How did you manage to make a small fortune from F1?" The team owner suggested, "Start with a larger one!"

I'd say $1 bln for a driver is a pretty large fortune so it's plenty to be wilted down to a small fortune.

For me and for many people Schumacher=Ferrari. He is somehow connected with ferrari and he should respect that if he wants his name to have a good fame the years to come!

Poppycock!

I don't believe BMW can waste that kind of money... plus no driver is worth that. Not even Schumi.

Paying $1bn for someone about to retire? No way, and it's a waste, i mean i won't buy a BMW because Michael Schumacher drives the F1 version of it.. i mean just be realistic, Renault has been so good but i don't see the sales of their cars going up too much...
And i think the biggest mistake is why are they calling themselves BMW Sauber? Why must they keep the Sauber name? Like i'm sure if MB buys out Mclaren, they will probably just call it Mercedes Benz even though the Mclaren brand is famous..

This article sounds like pure BS to me, no way are BMW gonna pay $1bn for any driver!