thats what Niki Lauda thinks : Niki Lauda has dismissed as 'rubbish' suggestions that Michael Schumacher's attendance at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend is anything other than symbolic. Ferrari figures insist that Schumacher will arrive at the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday in his role as an 'advisor'. Kimi Raikkonen on Thursday confirmed that Schumacher will 'try to help the team go forward' this weekend. "I am sure he will follow things closely," Lauda, who himself was once an advisor to the Maranello based team, told the newspaper Welt. Lauda insisted: "But all this gossip about him being an advisor or an assistant is rubbish. I do not know what the internal arrangements are, but my belief is that he is simply curious about keeping motor racing as a part of his life." "For Ferrari, I rather see him as a kind of mascot."
Does Niki Lauda not like Ferrari for some reason. The last few things I've heard from him have had anti-Ferrari sentiment built in.
On the other side, however..... Kimi Raikkonen has welcomed Michael Schumacher's return to the paddock for the first time since the German retired from Formula One. The seven-time champion will be in Barcelona from Friday, returning for the first time since last year's Brazilian Grand Prix, and Raikkonen is looking forward to getting help from him. "He is coming as he is still involved in the team. He will try and help the team go forward, so I think this is why he is coming. I think it will only be a positive thing," Raikkonen told reporters in Barcelona. "He is here to help the team. Hopefully he has much more time to look at what the other teams are doing and comes up with some ideas. "That is the way he is approaching the weekend and naturally he is not coming to us to tell us how to drive the cars. It has never been the thing why he is here." Raikkonen said, however, that Schumacher will not have any influence once he gets in the car. "I think I still drive the car, and I do with my engineers what I want," he added. Schumacher is scheduled hold a press conference at the Barcelona circuit tomorrow.
