Outspoken Poet's Blog

By Radoslav Penchev

The hype and build-up to this coming season has been more frantic than any other year, and for good reason. We have two British world champions paired in a top team, two-times champion Fernando Alonso in a prancing horse, the return of the Canadian Grand Prix and the introduction of a race in South Korea. Added to that is the prospect of two/three/four (delete as applicable) additional teams arriving on the starting grid.

All of these, however, are eclipsed by the return of one man: Michael Schumacher.

Some say that he is arrogant to a fault; some say that he made Formula 1 boring during his period of dominance, and the truly ignorant know him only as the Stig off Top Gear. But whatever your views about the man, Schumacher is, statistically at least, the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time. And now, after three seasons in retirement, he is returning.To glimpse what the German’s return means to the Formula 1 fans, media, the current drivers, and even the man himself, just look back to the end of July, and the aftermath of the Hungarian Grand Prix. After the scare of Felipe Massa’s accident in qualifying, and the worrying news which came out of the hospital in Budapest that afternoon about the Brazilian’s fractured skull, the mood turned to one of excitement – once we’d learned that Massa should make a full recovery – as a rumour emerged that the legend Schumacher was returning to the sport.

By the Wednesday after Hungary the shock announcement was made: Schumacher would return as a ‘favour’ to Ferrari. The great and good of Formula 1 past and present were giving their opinions on how the seven-time world champion would do, some voicing concern that he was too old, out of practice, and taking a big risk. Fans, even those who disliked Schumacher, would admit they were intrigued at seeing him take on the young talent like Hamilton and Vettel. Of course, the comeback never happened. Schumacher had suffered a bike accident in February 2009, and testing in a 2007 car aggravated the resulting neck injury. Almost tearful in a press conference, Michael had to announce to the world that the much awaited comeback was not going to happen. “I am disappointed to the core,” he said. “I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me.”

Luca Badoer managed two almost comical races as Massa’s replacement before the team replaced him with Giancarlo Fisichella.

At the end of the season, Mercedes took over championship winning team Brawn GP, and soon afterwards Jenson Button left for McLaren. This seemed a strange decision on the part of both driver and team, as Mercedes’ other driver Nico Rosberg was hardly a proven world beater.

The chance of working with Ross Brawn again, and driving for Mercedes, his childhood sponsor, was far too big a temptation for Schumacher to refuse. On 23rd December last year Formula 1 fans got one of the best Christmas presents they could wish for: The neck was healed, and Schumacher had signed a three-year deal to drive the silver arrows. In a BBC interview the German said he was ‘recharged’ after his three-year break from the sport, and relishes the challenge ahead.

Many ‘experts’ cast doubts over Schumacher’s ability to compete with the best at the age of 41, but Ross Brawn obviously has faith in the driver that he masterminded to seven-world championships. Michael’s experience may even put him at a slight advantage over his rivals – he is the only driver on the grid to have won a world championship during the previous era without refuelling.Winter testing has also indicated that Schumacher hasn’t lost his sharpness.

Ferrari was the team which brought Schumacher much of his success, but Mercedes were actually the company responsible for his debut in Formula 1. The German car-maker funded Michael’s first race at Jordan in 1991, and Eddie Jordan later admitted that if they hadn’t, he would have given Schumacher’s race seat to a driver with deeper pockets.

So now, only a few days before the start there is one question - will Schumacher's debut be a triumph or a tragedy? And the risk he takes is grate. If he proves his critics wrong he will only be another great champion to come back, just as Nicky Lauda did. But if he fails his reputation and his status as contender for the title of "greatest driver of all time" will be slanted. And Schumacher realises this perfectly well.

So why do it? In an interview in January he said that a life away for the track is not for hi, and he is probably right but he is also a winner-one of those individuals that do not have the word impossible in their vocabulary.

(c) Outspoken Poet