Mercedes vow never to offer Schumacher a return

MERCEDES-BENZ president Jurgen Hubbert has said that German Michael Schumacher will not be offered a return to the team when his contract expires with Ferrari in 2002 - even though they started him on his path to stardom.

Schumacher drove for the Mercedes Junior Team in the early 1990's along with Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen but Hubbert has insisted that Schumacher will never drive with McLaren, who the German manufacturer supply engines to.

"I don't think that Michael Schumacher will ever drive with Mercedes again," Hubbert said. "By winning the title with Ferrari, Schumacher has become immortal in Italy.

"He will probably respect his contract, which expires in 2002, and then decide what to do. I know there is no future with Mercedes."

Hubbert admitted that Mercedes place more importance in winning races against the new world champion, because Schumacher is one of the best drivers in the world.

He added: "In Germany Schumacher is more important than anything else. For this reason, it is undoubtedly more important for us to win against him than win with him."