Sir Jackie Stewart may be a three-time Formula One world champion and one of the finest drivers the sport has saw but he insists he has no intention to follow Michael Schumacher’s lead and return to racing driving.
Stewart, who won the world championship in 1969, 1971 and 1973, was speaking to STV’s Sports Centre ahead of the first grand prix of the new season and admitted the “Schumacher factor” would be a huge draw for the sport.
“The Schumacher factor this year, I think everyone is interested to see how well he’ll do and how long it will take him to come to the front, if you like, because that’s where we’re used to seeing him,” said Stewart who won 27 grands prix during his career.
The Flying Scot returned to Formula One in 1997 forming the team Stewart Grand prix along with his son Paul. However, the team was bought outright by Ford at the end of the 1999 season and is now known as Red Bull Racing.
As for a return to the sport in the drivers seat, Stewart, 71, insists he has never had the urge to get back behind the wheel.
“No, I have no desire to drive. Very fortunately from the moment I stepped out of the cockpit and retired I’ve never had a seven year itch or an urge to go back,” he said.
“I love the sport enormously but I have no interest in driving a racing car anymore.
“I will be going to Bahrain for the first Grand Prix and I’ll be going to Australia and Monaco and the British and the Canadian, Singapore, Abu Dhabi [grands prix] and a few others. So I’ll be there just as enthusiastic as all those folk watching on the television.”
