Poll Schumacher - The Poll

[cider_and_toast]

With the return of 7 time World Drivers' Champion Michael Schumacher becoming ever more likely, it's time to put it to the poll.
With such a massive record in F1 Schuey has no need to put his reputation on the line like this and I'm sure he wouldn't do it if he didn't think he could.

So what do we think, are we looking at Niki Lauda in 1982, Alan Jones in 1985 or Nigel Mansell in 1995?

For those who don't remember:

Niki Lauda - Returned in 1982 to raise some money to help fund his airline. Two wins in his first season back. 3rd world title in 1984 by half a point from Prost. One of the greatest comebacks in sport.

Alan Jones - Retired far to early in most peoples opinion. Came back for a one off race with Arrows in 1983 before making a full time come back with Lola towards the end of 1985. Completed the 1985 season and the whole of the 1986 season before walking away again. Scored a 4th and a 6th place in 86.

Nigell Mansell - The 1992 world champion returned to F1 for a couple of races in 1994 and even managed to win the final race of the season thanks in no small part to the Hill/Schuey incident. It was enought for Bernie to ahem, "assist" in helping Mansell make a permanent return to F1 in 1995. Ok so the Mclaren team he joined had managed to produce an absolute dog of a car but an overweight Mansell had to wait two races before the porker could actually fit in it. When he did race the car he was as rubbish as the car itself managing a 10th in San Marino and a retirement that proved permanent in Spain. His replacement Mark Blundell managed to add insult to injury by bringing the car home in the points 6 times.

So which come back do we think we'll see?

I've set the poll to run for a while and you can change your answer to take into acount any test session etc.

 

[Brogan]

An interesting question.

For me it has to be the middle option.

There is no way he's going to "do a Mansell". Anyone who saw the images earlier in the season will know just how fit MS still is and as such he will be that much more capable.

A lot though will depend on the car (as ever) but if the Brawn Mercedes continues as it left off then it will at least be capable of winning races.

I just don't think MS will have the ability any longer to be in the top 1-2%.
Although I'm not a racing driver, I do a lot of sport and I am at least as fit as most of them (even my resting heart rate was better than Kimi's last year) but as you hit 40, it gets harder and harder and your reaction times do slow.

So although he won't disgrace himself, I expect he will be finishing outside the top 3 but not in the bottom 5.

 

[snowy]

I absolutely don't want it to be the case but I know Schumacher and I know Ross Brawn. He will be competitive, he will win races and Nico will be as surprised as the rest of us!

Oh except me because I have said this knowing that thinking the opposite will make his success even more probable...

It's a kind of paranormal perverse psychology I'm invoking here.

 

[FB]

As much as the though pains me I can't see Schumie coming back and not winning races, unless next years Brawn Mercedes turns out to be a real pup. I've yet to be convinced about Rosberg, he was okay at Williams but he didn't really have a very competitive team mate - Schumie will be a VERY different proposition and I don't think he would come back just to make up the numbers.

 

[McZiderRed]

Not that I'd wish ill on anyone, but if I did, I'd that the shoemaker does a Mansell-'92-esque performance...

But, as I don't wish ill on anyone, I've voted for a Alan Jones-like flop.

 

[cider_and_toast]

So McZ you are praying for a Nigel Mansell 92 like performance? Win the first 5 races of the season and dominate the remaining races sewing the title up by Hungary.

He's good but I don't think he's that good now.

I've gone for a Niki Laudaesque performance. I just can't see how he'd be willing to put his reputation on the line without believing he can perform at a high enough level. Will he win the title? I don't think so, but he could be the spanner in the works that could pinch enough points to really effect the way the title race pans out. Will he win a race? I reckon providing the car isn't a lemon that's a real posibility and I think Spa would be the most likely.

At worst I think we'd be looking at Alan Jonesesque mediocraty and a Porkie Mansell performance is the least likely.

 

[Boyle]

I can't really have an answer to this but I do think he will be competitive. Perhaps Schumi wanted a challenge at building a new team with his old partner. Well, we all know what happens when Mr Schumacher and Mr Brawn get together!

 

[McZiderRed]

So McZ you are praying for a Nigel Mansell 92 like performance? Win the first 5 races of the season and dominate the remaining races sewing the title up by Hungary.

Did I put 1992!? Sorry, my mistake! I meant 1995...



For insinuating that the shoemaker might win the title, and thus tempting fate, I have submitted myself for washing my mouth out with soap and water. I feel this is a harsh punishment, however, as I haven't actually said anything! As it was an act of typing that was the mode of transgression, I would have thought that washing my hands with soap and water would be more appropriate, but this appeal failed to impress the judge...

 

[snowy]

You are fortunate that the judge was a compassionate man, the letter of the law says you wash your mind out with bleech.

 

[Speshal]

I've gone for a Niki Laudaesque performance. I just can't see how he'd be willing to put his reputation on the line without believing he can perform at a high enough level.

^^^^ This

I sincerely believe he'll win races in the coming season (assuming he's actually driving the merc and will prove most of his detractors wrong, you don't suddenly forget how to drive like he can. That and I'd give a bollock to see him and Lewis going at it wheel to wheel.

 

[snowy]

I sincerely believe he'll win races in the coming season (assuming he's actually driving the merc and will prove most of his detractors wrong, you don't suddenly forget how to drive like he can. That and I'd give a bollock to see him and Lewis going at it wheel to wheel.

Any advance on one testicle?

 

[GeoffP]

Tough call, there's no arguing that he's going to be 41, which can't help. But in his favour there's no arguing with his tactical and technical abilities at getting the best from the car, so that levels the playing field somewhat.

Also there are not that many outstanding drivers right now - in fact you could claim it's only Alonso and Hamilton that could pose a threat as far as driver contribution is concerned. When, during his already lengthy career MS has been pitched alongside Barrichello who was tipped for greatness, but looked very 2nd string, and Massa who has bested Kimi in a series where no-one questioned Kimi's crown.... surely MS whould not have to be at his best to merely compete.

I've gone for the Alan Jones position, although I think he might do somewhat better with the engines and team he's goin to, I don't think he'll achieve what Lauda did. Although I look forward to seeing MS back in action, at 41 and returning with 7 WDC titles, whatever he does will be a let down. It's a shame, it's like picking a scab, you really want to do it, it feels like a great idea, but then regret it...

 

[Brogan]

It's a shame, it's like picking a scab, you really want to do it, it feels like a great idea, but then regret it...

Best analogy ever

 

[fedupwithuserids]

GeoffP said:

It's a shame, it's like picking a scab, you really want to do it, it feels like a great idea, but then regret it...

Can I have permission to use that in normal day to day conversations, you don't have copyright etc. ???

 

[teabagyokel]

Also there are not that many outstanding drivers right now - in fact you could claim it's only Alonso and Hamilton that could pose a threat as far as driver contribution is concerned.

Is this because the drivers are mediocre, or because they're being shown up by the excellence of Hamilton, Alonso and Schumacher?

 

[GeoffP]

Also there are not that many outstanding drivers right now - in fact you could claim it's only Alonso and Hamilton that could pose a threat as far as driver contribution is concerned.

Is this because the drivers are mediocre, or because they're being shown up by the excellence of Hamilton, Alonso and Schumacher?

I think it's the one that Schumacher fears. I think Michael will be there shaking up the mid-field and turning a few heads, disappointing his fans and haters alike.

 

[teabagyokel]

I can see him 'stepping aside' after a few races, maybe claiming his neck is injures, if it doesn't go well! He won't want to be too badly embarrassed!

 

[FB]

Strange you should mention that TBY, just been reading an article on the BBC website which said

Schumacher still has to have medical tests on his neck injury before he can confirm a return, and Di Montezemolo said he expected a decision to be made public "at the end of December or the beginning of January"

You may well be right if he doesn't have enough speed or the Mercedes only appears to have 4 gears it could be a convenient excuse.

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

 

[snowy]

Ross Brawn doesn't necessarily want a quick fit driver, he wants someone who can develop a fundamentally quick car that will have a clear and long lasting development curve. With recent assurances of stability in the rules it makes perfect sense to employ a driver who can set a car and keep a cars development in the right direction.

The reason Michael Schumacher kept on testing for Ferrari after his retirement was the fact that Kimi Raikkonen wasn't trusted by Ferrari to develop the car. As evidenced by Luca Di Montezemolo's recent comment:

"We realised that our team needed a driver capable of really getting involved with the engineers, a characteristic that was not part of Kimi's genetic make-up, even though he is an amazingly talented guy."

And let us not forget that Felipe Massa was incredibly quick but incapable of staying on the track for more than five minutes until he was miraculously transformed by some higher power...

...one of the most powerful urges driving human endeavour and evolution is the desire to pass on knowledge and information, individually and from one generation to the next.

 

[Muddytalker]

With no middle ground option (not a comeback per se, but the Piquet Snr 90-91 era, for example?) I had to go for the Lauda version, though strictly 1982, and not the WC that happened later.

If he returns, I suspect there will be races where he is very much on the money, and his 'bit extra' will carry him through to a win or two. There will also be races where he is a competitive points-scorer, and whilst not able to win will be in the mix. I also suspect however, that like Lauda in 1982, there will be races where he is simply not competitive, and I wonder how much of his current motivation he will have when the Mercedes is struggling to get heat in the tyres, not handling well on full tanks, scraping into Q2 etc. As others have noted, fit or not, he is 41 and only going to get worse, not better. Let's not forget that the heavier fuel will put more of a strain on personal fitness, also.

As an aside, I wonder how well his wife and family are viewing the return. When you race for that long and the worst you got was a pair of broken legs, why tempt fate?