Auto Racing

Without much surprise, Ralf Schumacher was not retained by Toyota. The German, who allegedly was paid 25 mi a year, during his stay at the Japanese team, was pretty disappointing. He talks as if he has plenty of offers from other teams, but it remains to be seen whether they are Formula 1 teams.

For certain, no one will pay the German 25 mi a year for his services. He is a Schumcaher, but no Michael, no sire! I suppose Ralf can be quick on a decent car, but then again, so does 80% of the Formula 1 field. And there are quite a few up and coming Germans to interest German sponsors...

Sure, there is the allure of the Schumacher brand, but the junior Schumi has made a very strong point of distancing himself from his brother all of these years. He has not built a strong brand out of himself either.

If Ralf does find a team willing to pay him to drive (tops, 5 mi a year), it will be at best a midfield team. My money is on Ralf being left out of Formula 1, for good. A la Eddie Irvine.