Michael Schumacher's Biggest Challenge

Home » Blog » January 25 2010 at 22:10 | posted by Martin Porter

Schumacher fans will hold their breath in 2010

Formula One fans around the world are eager to see what Michael Schumacher can accomplish on his return to Formula One this year. He is the most successful driver of all time, is still incredibly quick, and has made it clear that he is aiming for nothing less than the World Championship.

However, Schumacher has a number of major hurdles to overcome if he wants to make a big impression in 2010. He isn't going to find it easy.

He's 41 years old.

Michael Schumacher is incredibly fit and is not your average 41 year old. However, he is up against a new breed of super athletes and he is going to feel the strain of modern F1. Throughout 2005 and 2006 he suffered from back problems and in the late stages of his Ferrari career he was known to stretch his fingers during races to avoid cramping. His health was one of the reasons he walked away from F1 three years ago so it could have an impact on his return.

Also, Michael's age could affect him mentally. The drivers that are almost twenty years younger than him will have no problems racing aggressively on the limit, whilst a wiser Michael might not have the same air of invincibility about him. He could find himself thinking twice about doing something dangerous. Would a 41 year old Schumacher have pushed Mika Hakkinen onto the grass at Spa at 200mph?

He's out of practice.

Luca Badoer is an excellent driver but showed that when you're out of practice it can really hurt. Schumacher is a much better driver than Badoer and has been out of the game for less time (and will get to test the car before he drives it) but he will still need to bring himself up to speed. F1 is not a charity kart race.

Also, Schumacher's final years were not his greatest. Although he continued to win Grands Prix right up until the end of his career he started making more mistakes and was completely outraced by Fernando Alonso or more than one occasion. He will want to recapture his winning pace from 2004, which seems like a distant memory now.

Refuelling is banned in 2010.

Michael Schumacher is very good at conserving tyres and brakes when he needs to but the 2010 ban on refuelling could work to his disadvantage. Fuel stops effectively turn a Grand Prix into a series of short sprints and no-one was better than Schumacher at producing 20 qualifying laps in a row. That incredible skill makes him the only driver to win a race by intentionally adopting a four stop strategy. Tyre conservation will be a large part of the racing this year and Michael will not be able to take victory by pushing to the limit as he used to do.

In 1993, the last time that refuelling was banned from F1, Schumacher won a Grand Prix against the much faster Williams cars by conserving his tyres. He will still be able win races in 2010 by using the same strategy, but a series of short sprints probably suits him better than an economy race.

He has a target on his back.

Every driver on the grid will want to assert their authority over Schumacher. He is no longer the respected master of F1, but is an intruder trying to steal some of the glory. A very threatening intruder. I can imagine Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel wanting to put Michael on the grass as soon as they get the chance. Any driver that beats Schumacher in a wheel-to-wheel battle will receive an instant boost to their reputation so Michael will find it a lot harder to get away with the rough and aggressive style of driving that made him a multiple World Champion.

What else will Schumacher find difficult on his return?