Schumacher in sight of what may be his last Japanese Grand Prix

MICHAEL Schumacher was looking forward to one of his favourite race weekends yesterday despite knowing that it could be the last Japanese Grand Prix of his Formula One career.

Mercedes announced last week that the seven-times world champion, now 43, will be replaced next year by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

The German also arrives at Suzuka with a 10-place penalty on the starting grid hanging over him for a careless collision with the Toro Rosso of Frenchman JeanEric Vergne in the previous race, the Singapore Grand Prix.

“My motivation is completely intact after the news last week, especially because Suzuka is one of the season’s highlights for me,” Schumacher said in a team preview. “I enjoy the circuit, it has sections that challenge you as a driver like almost nowhere else. Then there are the fans: they love motor racing and it is fun to feel their passion.”

Schumacher clinched two of his titles at Suzuka, in 2000 and 2003, while he secured another with Benetton in 1995 at Japan’s Aida track. The German has also won six times at Suzuka.

Although he has no seat at Mercedes next year, after making his comeback with the team in 2010 following his retirement from Ferrari in 2006, Schumacher has yet to declare time on his Formula One career.

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn told Reuters Television last week that he expected his friend to take time considering his options. The team have offered him an unspecified role next season while Ferrari-powered Sauber, with whom he raced in sports cars before entering For- mula One, could be interested in putting him in one of their cars, according to some reports.

Sauber driver Sergio Perez of Mexico is joining McLaren next year as Hamilton’s replacement.

Schumacher is out of the title chase, 12th overall and 151 points behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso with six races and a maximum of 150 points remaining.

The success of last season’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix has convinced organisers they can build a long-lasting legacy and break even on their substantial outlay in “five to seven years”.

Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) raced against time to get the $450m Buddh International Circuit ready for motor racing’s most prestigious series last October, with the event running smoothly after some early teething problems.

The Herman Tilke-designed 5.14km circuit on the outskirts of Delhi has also landed a four-year contract to host a round of the FIM Superbike World Championship from next year, which the organisers hope will boost the facility’s financial viability.

“The commercial proposition is such that you can’t hope to recover it in a couple of years,” JPSI MD and CE Sameer Gaur said. “You have to look at it from a long-term view … five to seven years, that’s the time one should be looking at breaking even.”

Now that the foundations had been laid, he said the job at hand was to develop the circuit into a Formula One village.

“It’s time to create some entertainment zones. Fans want a race which would be a three-day picnic. We have to create that facility and we are doing it.

“The proposed underground metro service (scheduled for completion in 2015) would improve transport and there would be more restaurants and hotels too,” Gaur added. “In the next couple of years, we have to create a Formula One village there, so that a fan can enjoy the race and the entertainment surrounding it.”

World champion Sebastian Vettel triumphed in the inaugural race almost a year ago and Gaur promised an even better experience in the second race on October 28.

“We got a perfect start last year,” he said. “Of course, some finishing touches were missing but everything is in order this year and you won’t hear any complaints.” Reuters