Niki Lauda believes that Michael Schumacher will be competitive in his bid eighth world championship, but he is not willing to bet on it.

The 60-year-old Austrian Lauda returned successfully in the 80s to win his third and last title in ___. He said in German magazine Bild:

“Everything depends on the car, and at the end of last season Vettel had the best one. What is for sure is that there are many more strong drivers in the field now than in Schumacher’s last years.

“There’s no question he can keep up. But I’m betting no money.”

Can Schumacher keep up? Well, he certainly knows how to drive an F1 car as well as any other driver on the grid, but whether he is fit enough to be competitive at almost 41, and whether Mercedes produce a quick car are the questions which will determine Schumacher’s success.

Schumi shouldn’t have a problem with the car as it is believed that Ross Brawn started developing the 2010 car in June, just after the Turkish Grand Prix.

Do you think Schumi will be able to keep up? Vote in our poll below, or discuss it in our forum.