The Return of Michael Schumacher

[prisonermonkeys]

With each passing day, the train suggesting seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher will return to Formula One with Mercedes Grand Prix gains more and more momentum, and little - if anything - is being done to slow it down. To stop the discussion from taking hold in other threads where it would be off-topic, I've started this thread so it can have a home of its own.

 

[LSX]

German, in a Mercedes, still the defending championship team...

I predict win.

Schumacher at the helm of one of those cars? If they preform even remotely as well as last year, even more win to be had. Sure, he's been out of the car for a while, but that does not mean he's too old to win. I mean really, look at Mark Martin's performance in Cup last year. I'm sure he won't be floundering around the back taking up space, if he loves driving so much, he won't care about his records, he will just want to race. Nothing to prove, no need to.

 

[niky]

Schumacher in a car that was dominant at the start of last season and still competitive at the end of it.

The key word being... competitive... not dominant.

I'd give him even odds of being a front-runner... especially with Brawn on his side... but championship? It'll be a push...

 

[Omnis]

If I was in the Ferrari family, I wouldn't leave.

 

[Stotty]

I'm someone who's interest in F1 waxes and wanes, and from my perspective it's great news if he does actually return... I honestly can't wait to see if he's still got the magic and if a 40-something can give the youngsters a run for their money.

 

[F1 fan]

Getting my hopes up a bit, but I agree, he's not exactly denied it or anything. Really hope he does come back, and i think he can still give the young guys a run for their money. Ideally, I'd like to see him make it to 100 grand prix wins. Even if it does take a few years.

Schumacher retired because he couldn't give 100% anymore. A few years away and the fire still burns. Don't write him off due to his age, he's still in great shape (with the possible exception of his neck... Has anyone heard how his recovery is going?).

Anyway, his return is the best possible thing that can happen for f1 right now, and there's no reason why the team can't have an excellent car. The genius of Ross Brawn combined with the budget provided by mercedes and the foundation of the current car to build on. Besides, I doubt you would hear schumi over the radio moaning "how can this car be so bad right now?"

 

[alba]

Imagine now if he wins the championship title, that record would be hard to beat (already is but still) haha.

Seeing him in anything but a ferrari will be really weird though!

 

[F1 fan]

Seeing him in anything but a ferrari will be really weird though!

I agree, it would seem weird, but he was a mercedes driver before F1. Mercedes funded him into f1 to get him some experience. Kinda ironic seeing as he became Mercedes' biggest obstacle to success in F1.

 

[Vaxen]

I'm someone who's interest in F1 waxes and wanes, and from my perspective it's great news if he does actually return... I honestly can't wait to see if he's still got the magic and if a 40-something can give the youngsters a run for their money.

I voted "Legendary!" but my true feelings are closer to Stotty's, which lies somewhere between the first two options.

 

[Feschka]

Not voting. A legend as a driver. A flop as a man. My heart is sticking to Clay Regazzoni and Gilles Villeneuve.

 

[P1]

Legendary! it will be fun to see Vettel and Shumacher battle it out if they both have competitive cars but he will have to make way for Vettels move to Mercedes in 2011 (Hopefully).

 

[Stevisiov]

I went for legendary, however its not exactly a perfect representation of my viewpoint. I think it will be interesting, I don't think he will be a major disappointment, I don't think he will become world champion again, I do expect him to win a race or two though.

 

[Ardius]

Schumacher has already been legendary in a Mercedes. 'nuff said.

I look forward to rating him against the new drivers, especially Hamilton and even Button. But really he will just be one more factor for making next season so much more interesting than the past few, the new teams, new drivers and massive driver changes as well as a new engine, no refuelling, more points, and so on will be so much to keep up with.

Next year will easily have the strongest overall line up ever. Forget about those seasons where there have been entire fields of greats - none of them had almost all the drivers in competitive machinery and such a great average driver skill. Most of the example seasons either had future champions who weren't good enough yet or past-it champions. 2010 appears to have very few drivers who aren't good enough to win a race through pure talent.

So, I vote legendary but it really doesn't matter - he has nothing to lose but his reputation, no one can change what he has already achieved. But I wouldn't find it too difficult to believe he will have a 1999 Damon Hill type season. It really depends on his motivation to push it even if the car isn't there, that is what I will be keenly watching for and Rosberg will be looking to beat him at every opportunity (what better statistic can someone have than to beat such a driver?). I have no doubts of his driving ability especially now its going to favour the good old endurance style driving. Hopefully we'll get some Prost/Senna type battling through the difference of strategy (push or wait and save the tyres).

 

[Peter]

I doubt he will make a succesful comeback. I'm thinking he will end up like Badoer, but he's better than him talent wise, and is fresher to F1 as it's only been 3 years compared to Luca's 10 years away from the cockpit, so I may very well be wrong, and boy do I hope so. But this is all IF, he indeed does return.

 

[LSX]

Badoer never did anything much to begin with. I think MS has proven himself a bit more. What is there that point to his potential comeback being unsuccessful?

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I'm thinking he will end up like Badoer, but he's better than him talent wise, and is fresher to F1 as it's only been 3 years compared to Luca's 10 years away from the cockpit, so I may very well be wrong

I think you under-emphasized that last fragment.

 

[Stotty]

I doubt he will make a succesful comeback. I'm thinking he will end up like Badoer, but he's better than him talent wise, and is fresher to F1 as it's only been 3 years compared to Luca's 10 years away from the cockpit, so I may very well be wrong, and boy do I hope so. But this is all IF, he indeed does return.

How on earth can you possibly mention Luca Badoer in the same breath as THE most successful F1 driver of all time?

 

[hellnback]

Kinda makes me a little angry, (disclaimer: while I have been a avid Ferrari fan from '79 and completed a pilgrimage to Monza in 2001 from NZL, I grew to warm to Schu) afterall when he finished in was on 92 or 93 wins? Give up so close to an imagineable number only 10 years earlier... heck most who have a long memory of F1 (mines from French GP 1979) thought Prost's 51 or so was out of reach.

He was still one of the 'men to beat' or 'championship contenders' when he retired.

All he's really achieved in the intervening period is waste 3 potentially productive years.

In saying that I think given a half competitive car he could be quite the threat with the new race structure, no refueling, tyre conservation, with his driving style this will suit him more than some others, plus I believe he's been there experienced that.

I be intrigued on how he goes but when push comes to shove, he's driving the wrong colour, and I remember last time that was the case too.

One note: I think I dislike Alonso more than Schu when both completed there swap to Ferrari (actually their 'careers' are similar at this junction). But a least Alonso isn't Hamilton (how I actually refer to him would give me a date with the ban-hammer).

 

[mafia_boy]

I doubt he will make a succesful comeback. I'm thinking he will end up like Badoer, but he's better than him talent wise, and is fresher to F1 as it's only been 3 years compared to Luca's 10 years away from the cockpit, so I may very well be wrong, and boy do I hope so. But this is all IF, he indeed does return.

How on earth can you possibly mention Luca Badoer in the same breath as THE most successful F1 driver of all time?

Because PJ-FFL was still in his dad's sack when Schuey won his FIRST world title, which was when he was at Benetton. Do you remember that PJ?? No you wouldn't, so go ask your parents about that, get informed and while you're at it, shoosh because the grown-up's are talking. 👍

I reckon that Schuey would perform wonderfully, even if he was stuck in a freaking Force India!! I mean it's Schuey, he almost single-handedly brought Ferrari from the pits of hell to become the most dominant team of the late 1990's and most of the 2000's! It's not just his driving, it's his ability to give feedback to his engineers like no other driver before or since!

Schuey = God of F1.

 

[Ardius]

Because PJ-FFL was still in his dad's sack when Schuey won his FIRST world title, which was when he was at Benetton. Do you remember that PJ?? No you wouldn't, so go ask your parents about that, get informed and while you're at it, shoosh because the grown-up's are talking. 👍

I reckon that Schuey would perform wonderfully, even if he was stuck in a freaking Force India!! I mean it's Schuey, he almost single-handedly brought Ferrari from the pits of hell to become the most dominant team of the late 1990's and most of the 2000's! It's not just his driving, it's his ability to give feedback to his engineers like no other driver before or since!

Schuey = God of F1.

Pfft, go and over-rate the guy in one post
Lets not forget the super team of Ross Brawn and Jean Todt too....single handed? Not at all.

Anyway:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8420601.stm

Are the people who doubted Eddie Jordan's prediction now eating humble pie?

 

[Bram Turismo]

Yeah, sure he is the greatest man in F1 history. But he hasn't been in competition for 3 years. If he will perform as some here are pointing at, I'm expecting him to have done some crazy cardio and F1 racing in top secret...

 

[mafia_boy]

Pfft, go and over-rate the guy in one post
Lets not forget the super team of Ross Brawn and Jean Todt too....single handed? Not at all.

Like Jean & Ross could've got the same results having someone like Ricardo Zonta giving them feedback when they developed the F2001. 8yrs later, Ross was able to do it with Jenson, yes, but not back then I believe. Without Schuey's input and feedback, they would've only been able to develop it so far, so yes it was almost single handed. I also give some props to Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello for being #2's and giving way to Schuey and by doing so made Schuey's status even more legendary. 👍

 

[Ardius]

You were the one claiming it was all Schumi, I never said it was only Ross and Jean, merely pointing out it wasn't just Schumi and it was most certainly not single handed. Even the Benetton years were thanks to Ross and some more great drivers as teammates.

Lets not forget Luca Badoer either - the man who drove all those kilometres testing those Ferrari's till they were ultra dominant. Him and Wurz are the unsung heroes of the manufacturer era.

I would actually say Zonta could have challenged for a championship too if he had such a support base, after all, Formula 1 has always been a team game. Zonta wasn't so bad, he never really had many great cars and he was in a team built around Villenueve when he did have car that could sometimes score points.

One driver cannot make the difference alone, if that were true, why has Renault been so bad twice in a row with the so called greatest current driver?

 

[mafia_boy]

With Renault, that answer can be summed up in 1 word. FLAVIO!!

 

[SUPER NUMBBER]

The same Flavio who managed Alonso to beat Schumacher twice?

 

[Peter]

I thought that was because the Ferrari was the slower car in 2005 and the first half of 2006?

 

[mafia_boy]

The same Flavio who managed Alonso to beat Schumacher twice?

Yes, but it was Flavio who was in charge of Benetton when Schuey won his first two world titles, so if anyone knew how to deal with Schuey, it was him. But it was Flavio who needed Piquet Jr. to crash to help Alonso too.

 

[SUPER NUMBBER]

Surely a "God of F1" doesn't need excuses, right?

 

[Ardius]

With Renault, that answer can be summed up in 1 word. FLAVIO!!

Unlike Ross, Jean and Michael though, Flavio has been in control of a team when its done quite badly. He had Tom Walkinshaw and Ross Brawn helping him in the early 90s and he appears to rely on Pat Symonds for a lot of the proper team principle work going by the Singapore radio transcript.
Again, one person cannot make the difference.

 

[Stevisiov]

Again, one person cannot make the difference.

Well, in the instance of two teams being on par, yes he can, but I generally agree with the sentiment.

That said, what are your opinions on Newey (sp.) changing the fortunes of Red Bull, at the time of a major rule change? One man making all the difference? Or was he just the tip of the iceberg?