Ralf Schumacher Turned Down F1 Return Offer for 2010

The 2010 season of Formula One could have brought us not one, but two Schumachers on the grid. Aside from the never-ending story of Michael Schumacher's return, his brother now revealed that he could have came back in F1 if he really wanted. However, the offer that was made to him did not match his expectations.

“Ralf had a concrete offer (to return to F1 in 2010) but it wasn't the challenge he wanted,” a friend of Ralf Schumacher was quoted as saying to the German newspaper Bild.

In addition, Ralf himself admitted that he wouldn't have hesitated in signing an F1-return contract if he were in his brother's shoes. However, it seems the offer to come back was made by one of the newly entrants – US F1, Lotus, Virgin or Campos – which made the now DTM driver have some second thoughts at rejoining the F1 field.

“Honestly, I also would not have hesitated for a second,” said the 34-year old driver, who is now preparing for his third straight campaign in the DTM. “With Mercedes in the DTM I feel very good, but I am sure I would get right back up to speed in a Formula one car,” added the German.

Although not as successful as his brother in the Formula One Championship, Ralf did manage to score some decent results in his 11 seasons in the series. The German scored 6 wins and 27 podiums – most of those stats happened back in his Williams F1 days – and left Formula One at the end of 2007 as one of the highest-paid drivers in the championship (from Toyota).

After competing on a one-year old AMG Mercedes C-Klasse in the DTM series in 2008, Ralf switched to Mercedes' works team last year, when he also recorded his first points in the German series (9).