Doctor confident Schu fit for F1 return

(GMM) Michael Schumacher must get the green-light of a doctor before shifting his planned Valencia comeback into high gear.

The 40-year-old German, who retired in 2006 but has agreed to return to replace Ferrari's injured race driver Felipe Massa, is to undergo medical tests at the Bad-Nauheim sportklinic in Germany.

"It's only because Michael has worked so hard in recent months that all of this is possible," a confident Dr Johannes Peil, who treated the seven time world champion after he fell and injured his neck during a motorcycle crash earlier this year, told Bild newspaper.

It is also rumored that Schumacher may attempt some testing miles prior to Valencia, despite the official ban on in-season circuit testing.

The Tagesspiegel newspaper reports that while Ferrari is not allowed to run the F60 except in a straight-line, Schumacher may instead turn to the Italian team's 'F1 Clienti' department, which operates former grand prix cars for wealthy enthusiasts.

Possible venues for Schumacher's test were named as Imola or Mugello.