Prost on Schumacher’s hubris –
Racing legend’s comeback ‘unrealistic’
‘The comeback’ is the stuff of sporting legend, conjuring up names like Jim Thorpe, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Roger Clemens, and so many more who refused to “go gentle into that good night”.
So what is it that compels athletes to come out of retirement and back to their beloved professions? Is it boredom? Love of the game? The pursuit of excellence? A need for endorsements to pay back the bookies?
In the case of Michael Schumacher’s return to Formula One after three years in retirement, racing ace Alain Prost attributes his decision to hubris and a lack of “humility.” Nicknamed ‘The Professor’ for his cool-headed approach to competition, in 1999,
Prost received the World Sports Awards of the Century, inscribing his name in the Pantheon of great athletes such as Pele, Carl Lewis and Steffi Graf.
Although Prost himself returned from a one-year sabbatical to regain the world title in 1993, he stated that Schumacher’s ambition for an eighth championship “was too high and unrealistic.”
Prost’s point may prove to be more than peanut-gallery cynicism. Throughout this Grand Prix season, Schumacher’s performance has been less than stellar. Rather than battling for wins and the championship, he has been consistently outpaced by his Mercedes
team-mate, Nico Rosberg.
"He should have said he was coming back to help Rosberg, or Mercedes in its first year, or his friend Ross Brawn [team boss at Mercedes GP]. It would have been easier for him," said Prost.
Believing the F1 is no country for old men, The Professor postulates that Schumacher’s advancing years have taken the edge off his driving, where fast response times require the hair-trigger reflexes of youth.
"For me, it's just a question of age. I think the tires are just an excuse, because Schumacher always adapted to any sort of car. It was his great strength. It's just not possible to return to the top after being away for three years at that age. It's a
matter of physiology."
Flavio Briatore, Schumacher's former boss at Benetton, agreed with Prost’s comments. "We know the Schumacher of Benetton and Ferrari, we know him as a super champion. It was not a right decision on his part to make a comeback. If he continues next year,
it will be the same story."
However, given Schumacher’s inspiring career, it may be a little presumptuous to label the forty-one year old racer as the new d**k Clark of F1. Winning seven World Championships and holding many of the formula’s driving records, including race victories,
fastest laps, pole positions, points scored, and most races won in a single season, statistically, Schumacher is arguably the greatest driver the sport has ever seen.
Often referred to as “The Red Baron”, after the German World War I fighter ace, Schumacher's ability to produce fast laps at crucial moments in a race, pushing his car to its very limits, is the stuff of F1 legend. Retiring from competitive racing in 2006,
Schumacher returned in 2010, signing a three-year contract with the new Mercedes GP team. While his performance during this season has been mediocre, fans and racing enthusiasts everywhere are still hoping to see Schumacher return to his old form – proving
once again that the experience gained from age and wisdom can never put the brakes on innate talent, initiative, and drive.
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