Grapevine: Q & A with Michael Schumacher

But with the new F1 season now well underway, and with Schumacher due to appear at next month's Spanish Grand Prix, he has re-emerged into the limelight.

And, after speaking at a Shell press conference in Poland over the weekend, Schumacher arrived in London this morning to pledge his support for the FIA-backed 'Make Roads Safe' campaign.

Schumacher made a speech at the launch of the United Nations' Global Road Safety Week, as the FIA lobbies the U.N. to organise a conference on the matter, and autosport.com heard from him afterwards to find out why he is so heavily involved in the campaign.

Q. What is so important about this campaign for you?

Michael Schumacher: We are talking about the 'Make Roads Safe' campaign. You only need to imagine that every 30 seconds we lose a kid who is between 10 and 25-years-old, every day. We have had malaria and tuberculosis be called up as subjects of UN ministers in order to find guidelines in how to improve and help people - and kids. So we are asking for help in order to improve the (roads) situation as well.

Q. They are horrific figures aren't they?

MS: They are shocking. At the same time it is a big challenge and a big motivation from my side to achieve as much as possible, because every life we can save makes me very proud.

Q. What is your part in this initiative?

MS: Basically to use my experience out of all the years, and to make that available to the organisation - especially through the FIA. But in particular use my status and fame to call my attention for these issues.

Q. So what can be done with your help?

MS: Basically, there are little things (that can be done) in the under-developed countries in particular. Here in England we have loads of roundabouts, but we have countries that have crossroads.

And at crossroads if you make a mistake the speeds are much higher, and have much higher consequences. With roundabouts the risks are much less. But here in England we still have 70 deaths per weeks for kids - and that is not a number that is acceptable at all.

We are trying to provide the best example in F1, through the FIA initiative to improve safety. For more than 10 years we have not had any death in F1 and it is (thanks to) one initiative we started after the death of Ayrton Senna. It was thanks to working together with the drivers, together with the FIA in order to improve safety on the passive side and the trackside.

Q. Who do you think has to be educated? Is it the children or is it the drivers?

MS: It is more the drivers, but it is more the nations by themselves to accept that their roads have to be improved, and that the level of education of the drivers has to be improved.

Q. What is your commitment to this? Is this your retirement project?

MS: I have been doing it before my retirement. I was doing the 10-second campaign and various other campaigns with the FIA, so it is an ongoing process where we have been for a long, long time involved to improve road safety. But this is obviously of a much different level to any of the other campaigns.

Q. And what are you going to do to back it up?

MS: I am being involved here today. We have the next function of a similar level in Berlin, Germany, to raise the attention there. And there will be some other events that I will participate in.

Q. Is this a campaign that naturally you fit in very well with, both as a man who has improved safety in F1 but also as a parent?

MS: I believe so. First of all the credibility I have due to the success in my sport is there. Many people will accept that I know what I am talking about. But being a dad on top makes it emotionally much more binding to me.

Q. What would be a good gauge of success for this campaign?

MS: Any life that we save.

Q. Is this something that you would like to extend more into your retirement, to maybe get involved in more campaigns?

MS: As I mentioned before, I have done it before and it really depends if I can stand for it or not. But I really do for this one.

Q. Are you enjoying retirement?

MS: I do, yes. It is obviously a different subject but my life is good and we are happy. So there is nothing that we miss at the moment.

Q. Have you watched F1 this season? What do you think of the championship and Ferrari's form?

MS: I don't really want to get into this one. I don't think it is appropriate concerning the subject we are here for.

Q. Will the satisfaction that you will take from making a difference with a campaign like this match what you got out of being successful in F1?

MS: I have seen on the other side parents that have lost their kids. And I can see how happy I am with my kids, and I can well see how many people will be happy in the future to still have their kids and enjoy life with them. And that is I think something that in the future you will look back on and make you a proud and happy man.

I have two kids and I have seen families who have lost their kids. I saw this morning on the news about a father who had lost his daughter just going out as a pedestrian. If you see what is going on in their faces. Can you imagine how many policemen, how many people, have to go every day, every 30 seconds in a way, to the families and explain what has happened?

So if after a bit of time we can come back to it and say we have changed this rate, and we have improved the safety and saved lives, then it will make me a proud man.

Q. Can you see yourself getting more involved in projects like this, or does racing still remain your passion?

MS: I don't really see any particular future other than what I am doing at the moment.