Michael Schumacher’s former manager believes the Formula 1 legend's comeback in 2010 was the “stupidest thing he could do”.
The seven-time World Champion retired at the end of the 2006 season, having won 91 races.
Schumacher had planned to return to the sport with Ferrari in 2009 before getting injured, but he came back in 2010 after signing a three-year deal with Mercedes.
He picked up just one podium in those three years and he retired again at the end of the 2012 season.
Schumacher former manager Willi Weber tried to talk the racing great out of a return, but it was to no avail.
Weber told Motorsport-Total.com : “Let’s say, this was, even in hindsight, the stupidest thing he could do.
“He told me he was bored, he had to drive.
“Then I say, ‘Michael, what do you want? You can only lose. You can’t win anymore. You won everything. You are the best racer in the world. You stand on the highest pedestal that exists. You can only lose now.’
“But, he just didn’t want to hear it.”
Weber added: “The second thing was, that after the years of being in Formula One, I didn’t want to pack more suitcases, didn’t want to have jet lag anymore, didn’t want to sit on the plane for 24 hours. That was all too much for me.
“I imagined all this and offered him that I would not take part in overseas races, but I would take care of him in Europe.
“Then he kept coming back and saying, ‘Willi, I thought about it, I’m doing it on my own. I’ll do it all myself.’
“I said, ‘Michael, that’s a huge mistake, too. Let it be!’ ‘No, no, I’m doing that. If you don’t go along, I’ll do it myself.’”
Schumacher sustained traumatic head injuries in a skiing accident in France in 2013, and was placed in a medically induced coma for six months.
He has since regained consciousness but reportedly struggles to communicate, and attended a Paris hospital last year for treatment by cardiovascular surgeon Philippe Menasche.
