The failed comeback of Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher was a Formula 1 legend; he won seven championships and had a record 91 wins to his name. Then he retired from the sport in 2006 and it seemed the field was open for some new drivers. Then suddenly there were news reports and a lot of buzz
in the world of motorsports that the great Schumacher was making a comeback. Some thought it was a bad decision but others were more positive, like his new bosses at Williams who offered him a huge comeback salary. So far, the legendary driver’s comeback has
not wowed anyone and the best he has been able to achieve is a 4th place finish. Has he tarnished his stellar reputation because of it or will he be able to regain his former brilliance?
Michael Schumacher started racing karts at an early age and he won many junior championships in his youth. In 1989, the young future world champion started racing in Formula 3 with the Willi Weber's WTS team. From there he joined the Mercedes junior racing
programme and even took part in some Formula 3000 racing events. Schumacher made his debut in Formula 1 with the Jordan-Ford team without a signed contract in 1991 at the Belgium Grand Prix. Schumacher then jumped ship and went to race for Benetton-Ford for
the remainder of the season. The future champion won his first Driver’s Championship in 1994 and won it again in the 1995 season.
The German driver then joined Ferrari in 1996 and as they say the rest is racing history. Ferrari had not won a championship since 1979 but that was all about to change. With Schumacher behind the wheel of the car the team started to win races and it started
a period of dominance for the team that has not been matched since. Then between 2000 and 2004, Schumacher created history by winning the most races than any other driver before him. He won his third world championship title in 2000 and then managed to win
four more in the following years. The powerhouse of Formula 1 announced his retirement at the end of the 2006 season and went to work for Ferrari as an assistant to the CEO Jean Todt.
In 2010, Schumacher made his return to the sport and his decision was instantly panned by some people in the sport but others thought it was a good idea. So far he has not been able to live up to the expectations of his fabled return. The former CEO of Ferrari
and current president of the FIA, Jean Todt, who was once a mentor figure to a young Schumacher, has said that even if the former great is not able to achieve anything from his return, it will not shadow his amazing record in the sport. Todt also felt that
the German driver was hiding his true emotions and not letting the world see the pressure and stress that his failed comeback was having on him.
A lot of people have said that Schumacher should just quit and leave the sport to the new heroes of the sport like Alonso, Hamilton, Webber, Vettel and Massa. It seems the world of Formula 1 has evolved in the three years when Schumacher was away and a lot
of the younger drivers are leaving trailing behind the 41-year-old in their dust. He does not seem to have the same touch and finesse that he did with the car when he was with Ferrari. Some have blamed the car, but his former teammate Eddie Irvine is quick
to point out that he was winning races and blowing away the competition with a very poor car for the first three years at Ferrari.
So it is not the car, it is not the fact that he has lost his skills because he still manages to finish races in the top ten consistently, so what is it? Could it be that he is just too old to race any more or maybe it is that the other drivers are just
much better than him. Alonso has the potential to become a better driver than Schumacher in the next few years if he keeps winning races the way he is. But now the field is much more open and the racing is more exciting. Maybe Schumacher should have kept his
cushy desk job with Ferrari and left the racing to the younger lot.
Tags: