ATLAS F1, The Daily Grapevine: Schumacher Goes Back to His Roots

Michael Schumacher is going back to his roots after a triumphant and record-breaking Formula One season.

And it means that the next time he races, Ferrari's four-times World Champion could end up a loser in a series that he cannot win. The German, who won his ninth Grand Prix of the season at Suzuka to earn Formula One's all-time points scoring record, is looking forward to getting back in a go-kart.

Schumacher's father runs a circuit near the family home in Kerpen and Schumacher has been a passionate go-karter since he was a boy. When the final round of the go-kart world championship was called off - it was supposed to have been at Suzuka - the organisers asked the Ferrari driver if he could help out.

Schumacher jumped at the chance of carrying on driving around in circles for a bit longer, particularly on home territory, now that Formula One has a testing ban in force until January.

"I've always wanted to do one more big go-kart event," he said. "The answer was pretty clear straight away and that's what's going to happen now."

"They are doing some modifications on the circuit to the standard they are requesting and in two weeks' time from now we will have a go-kart race in Kerpen in which I'd like to participate."

Before the final Grand Prix of the season, in a Championship he had won back in August with four rounds to spare, Schumacher had already been training for the karting event.

"I was practising with Jos (Verstappen)...from the morning to three o'clock, then jumped in the helicopter to catch a plane to come here," he said. "It's like Formula One, it's fine tuning, it's really on the edge. To be at the top you have to have practice and I haven't had a lot of practice so I'm not too confident.

"But it is something I always wanted to do. I know I only can lose," he said. "If I win everyone will say its normal, if I lose then I will get a bang. But I'm not concerned about that, I just want to enjoy it."

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