From the official Ferrari’s Press Reelease. With Michael Schumacher now being unavailable to stand in for Felipe Massa, as from the forthcoming European Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro announces that car number 3 will be driven by Luca Badoer.

“I am very unhappy that a problem means that Michael cannot return to racing,” commented Luca di Montezemolo. “In the past few days, I could appreciate his great efforts and extraordinary motivation which had spread through the team and fans around the world. No doubt his return would have been good for Formula 1 and I am sure it would have seen him fighting for wins again. In the name of Ferrari and all the fans, I wish to thank him for the strong attachment he displayed for the team in these circumstances. In agreement with Stefano Domenicali, we have therefore decided to give Luca Badoer the chance to race for the Scuderia after he has put in so many years of hard work as a test driver.”

It’s been ten years since Badoer last started a race and he rejoins the field as the oldest driver on the grid, narrowly eclipsing his former team-mate Rubens Barrichello at 38. Although he moved to F1 after winning the Formula 3000 title in 1992, in his four seasons and 48 grands prix in the big league, he failed to score a single point and famously broke down in tears alongside his car after it failed to take him to a fourth-place finish at the 1999 European Grand Prix. Ten years later, he’s looking to improve his record to stand in for Felipe Massa.

Michael Schumacher has officially canceled his F1 return due to lingering pain in his neck from a motorcycle accident earlier this year. In the bright side, a firm hint dropped by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo on Tuesday night, just hours after Schumacher’s F1 comeback was called off but Ferrari is pushing to allow teams to run three cars in Formula 1 next year could yet allow Michael Schumacher to return to F1.

Schumacher has been testing in Ferrari’s 2007 car at the company’s private track in Mugello. After the first test, though, he found that the mere strain of driving aggravated the injuries from a crash he suffered in February while motorcycle testing at a track in Spain. At the time, although he went to the hospital, it was thought that everything was fine. Eventually fractures in his neck were discovered, and that is what is causing the problem now.

After laying its hopes on the 7-time world champion, Ferrari now chooses among its reserve drivers to pilot one of their cars in Valencia in 48 hours: Marc Gene or Luca Badoer – Gene’s last F1 race drive was the 2004 British Grand Prix, while Badoer hasn’t turned an F1 wheel on race day since 1999, at the European Grand Prix. This morning Ferrari head Luca di Montezemolo chose 38-year-old Badoer for the role.

Click here to view the Photo Gallery of Schumacher test drivings the Ferrari F2007 at Mugello

The 40-year-old German – Michael Schumacher who retired from F1 in 2006 but has agreed to return to replace Felipe Massa, is to undergo medical tests at the Bad-Nauheim sportklinic in Germany.

“It’s only because Michael has worked so hard in recent months that all of this is possible,” a confident Dr Johannes Peil, who treated the champion following his fall, told Bild newspaper.

It is also rumoured that Schumacher may attempt some testing miles prior to Valencia, despite the official ban on in-season circuit testing. 

The Tagesspiegel newspaper reports that while Ferrari is not allowed to run the F60 except in a straight-line, Schumacher may instead turn to the Italian team’s ‘F1 Clienti’ department, which operates former grand prix cars for wealthy enthusiasts.

The only possible F1 circuit for Schumacher’s test were in Italy and speculated at Imola circuit or Mugello circuit.

This is predictable in F1 after Massa injuries that Ferrari makes this announced of the return of Schumacher. On yesterday evening, Ferrari announced that Michael Schumacher is standing in for the injured Felipe Massa at the forthcoming Grand Prix in Valencia and after until Massa is fit to return.

The next race is the European Grand Prix on Aug 23 in Valencia, Spain.

The 28-year-old Massa was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier at 120mph during qualifying Saturday at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

“We have said before that it is possible that Michael Schumacher could return to help us out,” said before the official announcement by head of communications Luca Colajanni.

Schumacher’s comeback at the age of 40 and last competed in the sport in 2006 where he finished second to Fernando Alonso in the standings, having secured no less than seven victories to add to his tally of 91 wins.  Schumacher won his first two F1 titles with the Benetton team. He joined Ferrari in 1996 and won five straight from 2000-04.

Michael Schumacher said he is ready and over the next few days will undertake a specific training programme at the end of which confirmation will be given of his participation in the championship with effect from the European Grand Prix on the 23rd of August.  – edvinteo.com