While the whole world is speculating about his return to Formula One racing Michael Schumacher was enjoying himself in a weekend cart racing event in his German birth town, DPA reported.
Schumacher, 40, rather signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans instead of answering questions about an alleged all but done deal with Mercedes.
Instead, he was racing in the "wintercup" event and spending time between races in a trailer with his mechanic on making the cart faster, just like in his famed search for perfection in his F1 days.
Racing in a white overall and an orange helmet, Schumacher was taking the event very seriously.
"When I saw Michael at the pre start for the first time I was wondering: what is going on with this guy. The eyes were twinkling. I knew, this will be grat. He looked like a little boy at Christmas," said race director Dieter Bringsken.
"He is taking it seriously. He doesn't come and say 'I will do a little cart racing'."
The reporters and camera crews asked in vain about an F1 return of the seven-time world champion, while the issue was not mentioned at all among the others in the Kerpen event.
F1 runner-up Sebastian Vettel, who accompanied Schumacher to Kerpen, remained silent on the issue, and cart racer Andre Thurn also said that "we are not talking about it."
"Really, no other driver is interested in that ... I would never think about asking him about it. Michael is really just another cart racer for us," said sports head Christa Fritzsche from the organizing cart club Kerpen-Manheim.
Schumacher may have arrived in a large Mercedes car, but seeks no preferential treatment at the cart event.
"He goes to Carola in the bar like everyone else to eat his fries. He drinks his coffee from a paper cup like everyone else," said Fritzsche.