I am one of those people who thinks that regardless of the talent and contributions to the sport, Michael Schumacher did more harm than good to Formula 1. He was the spoilt brat of the grid, who got the freedom to do pretty much anything he wanted while the rich parents cleaned up the mess behind him, keeping silent only because he was the best at what he did. He had talent, no doubt about that, but his golden years of dominance with Ferrari can be boiled down a lot to the management in charge. Looking at the current state of affairs, it’s hard to argue with that. Now, he has the chance to make up for it, and earn our respect again — not as a driver, but as a sportsman.⌘

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I wasn’t too surprised when news broke of Michael having accepted Ferrari’s offer to fill in Filepe’s shoes (or cockpit). He was the only one they could turn to who wasn’t a risk. He is probably the only driver (not currently racing) who has been so close to the car’s development. Also, both the test drivers have seen almost no track time this season because of the in-season testing ban. Plus, they’re test drivers. Ferrari has a reputation to uphold here, and so does Michael.⌘

Fernando challenged Michael and defeated him convincingly, and that too at the peak of his career. Lewis, on the other hand, will get to put his money where his mouth is.⌘

I’m very sure his ego would not have let him just ignore people calling him a coward, saying that he didn’t have the courage to face the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, especially at a time when the car isn’t that competitive and he is no longer the prime candidate to lead Ferrari’s charge. I certainly hope the management is aware of that, and not pitting their resources behind Michael. Kimi, who at this point is much more in tune with driving the F60 (and ahead in points), should be the focus.⌘

Not that Ferrari are in any position to challenge for the championships, but they have made something of a comeback this season. It’s Kimi who needs to take the reigns. The problem with Kimi is all too obvious by now — his temperament. Give him a challenge with a fighting chance, and his talent and ability shines through from a mile away. If you cripple him, he doesn’t bother trying to make something out of nothing. He’s a winner whose eyes are only on the top step of the podium. But Michael’s return might change that. For once, Kimi has genuine competition. Not in terms of ability, but in terms of reputation. The last time these two really went head to head, Kimi was with McLaren in a fantastic but overly brittle car which robbed him of having a go at the title in ‘05. I would hope that comparisons being drawn between him and Michael (in the same car, same situation) would push him to prove himself, but his apathy might still win¹.⌘

Greatest driver of all time

In any case, Michael is not coming back purely out of loyalty to Ferrari. He’s getting a lofty sum of €1 million per race at least (which may be on top of his annual pay as an advisor), and is slated to drive till the end of the season. With 7 races left to go, the math is pretty simple. He stands to earn a lot from his little return, and so does Ferrari. My bet is that bringing back Michael is more of a tactical ploy to infuse Ferrari with some confidence than purely for his relationship with the team, and bring the team back in the limelight in a mostly lacklustre season.⌘

Yes, he does have a lot to lose and almost nothing to gain — apart from the boatload of cash. If he wins or even finishes on the podium in his first race at Valencia (which is highly unlikely), it will be written off as testament to his greatness without too much thought. If he doesn’t perform, the booing and hissing from critics calling his ability more to do with a dominating car than his actual talent will be too loud to be ignored. He will be going up against drivers he has never raced before, who are clearly in their prime at the moment. Nor will his strong arm tactics work anymore — the stewards will rap him and Ferrari hard on the knuckles if he tries any funny business².⌘

All in all, Michael is coming back to a lot of scrutiny and opinions. Regardless of his reasons, he should remember that he no longer has a point to prove, and should work with the team to improve the car for the ‘10 season. He’s now perfectly placed to make a big difference to the development of that car, since Kimi apparently doesn’t add too much and Felipe is no longer in contention to do so. He also brings back a lot of eyeballs to the sport which has been slowly losing spectators thanks to the FIA vs. FOTA debacle which has gone on long enough to frustrate anyone who is interested in the sport and not the business.⌘

He might be the messiah we all love to hate, but he’s also the KERS boost we need right now.⌘

Update: Michael has pulled out of his comeback citing neck injuries from his bike crash back in February. Luca Badoer will substitute for Massa now. This is definitely a setback for Ferrari and Formula 1, as Valencia was the stage for a lot of hopes. Hopefully Renault’s ban will be successfully appealed against, so that something can be salvaged.⌘