Michael Schumacher: I Might be back anyway

[bogaTYR]

Michael has given a press conference. and in the press conference he refused to say this was the end of his F1 aspirations. or to put it simple: the man might be back anyway massa looks out for the rest of the season so there are several races left, and schumi might be in the car in one of them!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77633

 

[Brogan]

I had gathered that he hadn't totally written off coming back by his very careful use of the word "yet" on Tuesday.

If Felipe is out for several races then there may be time for MS to get fully fit.

I find it all a bit odd though.
In an interview with the BBC a few weeks ago he quite clearly stated he had been offered drives since retiring but had turned them down as he was comfortable with his decision to quit.

Now however he seems desperate to get back into a Ferrari and Luca di Montezemo is even talking about 3 car teams to achieve this.
Not that it will happen but can you imagine Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso in the same team? I can't...

Why did he quit when he did and why does he now want to return?
I wonder if he now regrets his decision to retire at the end of 2006?

 

[RickD]

I had a theory that it was to do with team politics at the time and with Ross taking a sabatical, maybe he knew it was the right time to get out for a while. His contract and time with Ferrari has made him loyal to them (especially as it looks like they have that bounce-back ability), so I can see why he won't go for another team. Maybe making a bit of a pariah of Todt helped him come to a descision to want to drive again and cleared some of the bad air.

Maybe with Kimi also not coming good in the Ferrari, he doesn't see him as a threat anymore.

Maybe he'll come back a week later at Spa..

 

[Galahad]

There were a lot of rumours flying around at the end of 2006 to the effect that Michael didn't want to retire but was being bounced into it by Ferrari's decision to sign Raikkonen.

As RickD says, maybe he fancies taking Kimi on now after all?

Although I have to say, if his neck can't handle Valencia I very much doubt it will have improved sufficiently in a week to be able to manage at Spa, with much higher G-forces. If anything we'd be looking at the last couple of races, perhaps?

 

[Muddytalker]

Personally speaking, I'm wondering what Michael thinks is in it for him.

The Ferrari is currently not a winning car (Raikkonens 2nd place at Hungary nothwithstanding), at any point he decides to enter a GP he'll have had no experience of the new car, regs, tyres etc, the chances of doing anything spectacular are fairly low, in my opinion. Even if he does, it will be 'of course, it's Michael, we knew he's that good anyway'.

With all that in mind, in what way does Michael think he can improve on his already god-like status, because to me there are only three possible outcomes:-

Wins/2nd place/DNF whilst in the top 2 on merit - General opinion: Michael is still a top driver (and by implication Kimi and Felipe aren't) = no gain, no loss
Finishes elsewhere/DNF without being in top 2 - General opinion: Michael isn't as good as he was = loss
Michael suffers a big accident having survived his 'first F1 career' with just the one biggie - General opinion: Shouldn't have come back = loss

 

[FB]

Does F1 need Schumie? Possibly yes, but in many other ways no. It would help in those endless debates about who is the best driver as the best of the last generation will go head to head with the latest stars of this. On the negative side, as Muddy points out, Schumie has more to lose than to gain and for the series itself it if it needs him to come back just to regain public interest this must be something of a nadir for the sport.

To expand on my nadir comment, and this is going to sound horribly negative, I think Button and Webber winning races this year has been bad for F1. Given that they are effectively journey men it allowed all the detractors of motor sport to say (with some justification) "see, we told you it was all about the car" and many fair weather fans (who primarily support the big two of Ferrari and Mclaren) lost interest. Schumie coming back may create a short term pulse of interest but it can't and won't last.

 

[teabagyokel]

Now however he seems desperate to get back into a Ferrari and Luca di Montezemo is even talking about 3 car teams to achieve this.

Forgetting we don't write the rules, Luca?

Does F1 need Schumie?

Hell, no. F1 has been doing fine in 2007 & 2008 for example; the real bore years were 2002 & 2004! I don't think F1 needs Schumacher any more than it needs Senna or Prost or Fangio... 'tis the nature of sport that the starts will eventually quit. I think he should stop trying to be a distracting sideshow and let today's generation get on with the job!

We got 3 WDCs in the field: [Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen] plus one who lost it at the last turn [Massa]. We're going to have a new World Champion, then we've got intriguing up-and-comers such as Kubica and Rosberg. This should be what we're talking about here on this forum. We shouldn't be looking forward to some geriatric former champion jumping in the Ferrari, basically on a whim.

 

[bogaTYR]

TBY

very true

the guy who came second before the last turn and the guy who came first before the last turn

i think F1 needs michael more then ever. something is missing like someone who really draws the crowds and can electrify the crowds. LH and nando can do that but only up to a point.

but like GM says, spa is much more demanding then valencia...

 

[Brogan]

It looks like MS has ruled out coming back to F1 for good.

Michael Schumacher has ruled out making a comeback to Formula 1 this year - and almost certainly ever.

The seven-time champion had to pull out of a return in place of Ferrari's injured Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix due to a neck injury.

And asked by Italian television station Mediaset about rumours of a later return, he said: "No. I'm not thinking about doing any races. My life is OK."

Maybe he had a change of mind after seeing how badly Badoer did in Qualifying for Valencia?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8216695.stm

 

[teabagyokel]

I'm not sure, but I bet Nelsinho Piquet is going to be hanging around Maranello like a bad smell!