Schumacher declines to drive final races for Lotus

Michael Schumacher, the retired seven-time Formula One champion, turned down an offer from Lotus to drive the final two races of the season as a replacement for Kimi Raikkonen, reported Xinhua.

Schumacher retired for the second time at the end of the last season, having failed to win a race for Mercedes in a three-year comeback.

Raikkonen will miss the last two races in the US and Brazil after a back surgery.

He will be driving next season for Ferrari, one of Schumacher's former teams for which he won five consecutive championships.