Schumacher a candidate to replace Massa at Ferrari

Michael Schumacher is today being touted for a return to Ferrari should the Italians ditch Felipe Massa at the end of the season.

The German is 16/1 to score for the first time since he returned to the sport at the Italian Grand Prix and his form in the first practice session suggests he’s in with a shout come race day.

The seven-time world champ has grown unfamiliar with taking the chequered flag since his move to Mercedes and, should Ferrari come calling, he would surely jump at the chance to move, especially if his current company move for Lewis Hamilton, as reported.

Behind a Mercedes wheel, Schumacher has made just a single appearance on the podium and that was not until the European Grand Prix four races back.

His frustrating second-coming has seen him pull up early with far more regularity than chasing down the top drivers. An astonishing 13 retirements in three seasons typifies his spluttering tenure with Mercedes and it would be easy to understand his eagerness to get back into the red of Ferrari.

With the quality of cars being churned out by each constructor, Schumi couldn’t expect a season like his 2002 campaign if he returned to the Italian powerhouse. He never finished a single race outside of the podium places that year, scoring on 11 of his 17 runs.

He would also have to play second fiddle to Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, so a spell as champagne-laden as his first is borderline impossible. His chances of success, however, should improve significantly.

The six top-three finishes Alonso has claimed this year is double the amount that Schumacher and his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg have managed in a season which has been notorious for its wide open nature. In his Ferrari days, the German racked up an incredible 155 podium places.

The contrast between the two spells is baffling.

The man who holds more F1 records than you can shake a stick at is currently scrapping around to stay in the top-ten of the Driver’s Championship standings instead of trying to win it. This position would certainly be improved should his legendary partnership with Ferrari be rekindled.

All Odds and Markets correct as of the time of publication