So what is Michael Schumacher up to these days? Well, having retired as one of the highest-paid sports figures of all time, pretty much anything he wants. But even in retirement, Schumi makes more than most F1 drivers. Part of his ongoing sponsorship portfolio includes acting as a spokesman for Bacardi, which recently ran a contest to award a driving experience with the seven-time world champion at the Ascari track in Spain.

A lucky blogger out of Hong Kong won and posted about the experience, including video with telematics, from the cockpit of a Maserati GranTurismo – which probably has more to do with another ongoing deal with sister-company Ferrari than anything else. After all, the last time we saw Schumacher drive anything other than a Fiat group product or a motorbike was before he left Benetton.

Meanwhile, reports persist that Schumacher is still plotting a return to the F1 cockpit. After Felipe Massa was injured in Hungary this past summer, Schumi was slated to take his place, but was sidelined with a lingering neck injury of his own. Ferrari continues to lobby for a third-car option to place Michael back on the track alongside Alonso and Massa, but F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone says it ain't happening. For his part, Schumacher isn't ruling out the possibility. Follow the link to F1 Wolf to watch the video.

[Sources: F1Wolf.com and F1-technical.net | Image: Mark Renders/Getty]