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Stewart says Schumacher should retire
- Drivers:
- Michael Schumacher
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- Jackie Stewart
Sir Jackie Stewart says that seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher should return to retirement after November's Abu Dhabi finale.
Schumacher has a contract to drive for Mercedes until 2012, but a torrid season has seen him out-raced and out-qualified by team-mate Nico Rosberg in the majority of grands prix this season. Things did not improve at Silverstone where Schumacher qualified eight tenths behind Rosberg, before the younger German raced to the podium while Schumacher only finished ninth.
"I would have preferred to have seen Michael not come back. Why did he do it? He had achieved everything and could only lose," Stewart told the Cologne Express. "In my opinion he retired too early, he should have stayed another two years with Ferrari and I have no idea why he didn't."
Stewart, who retired at the top of his game after winning his third world title in 1973, thinks it would be better for Schumacher to quit at the end of the season rather than suffer at the hands of the press.
"Now he's in a difficult situation and has to live with the criticism. The first question should be 'will he do another year?' I believe he will stop after this season."