Poll over: MSC will officially come back.

[Mystery Steve]

Isn't he still employed by Ferrari? I would think that might be a reason not to return as a MercGP driver. Granted he doesn't need the money, but I would imagine he probably likes his current position given that he doesn't show signs of giving it up despite the fact he doesn't need to do it.

Thats my issue with his Ferrari role.

Its not a case of him not needing to do it, its Ferrari, do they really need him? Why are they paying him to watch a race from the best possible posistion? He cant contribute much to the car development or drivers setup (their experienced enough now!)... Ever since he retired it seems to me at least that he just cant let go!

I may be mistaken, but I think he is still under contract so they have to pay him anyway. Even if I am wrong on that, I'm sure they wouldn't be paying him to just sit and watch the race. His opinion is still very valuable, and while he may not be able to offer driving tips, he has experienced a lot of the elements off track that a younger driver can benefit from.

And I'm not stating this as fact, but I remember someone mentioning on this forum that he was getting into the road car side of the company more as well, and that may be a position that he enjoys. Ferrari certainly doesn't need him in that role, but when you accomplish what Michael Schumacher has you earn the right to request positions like that. While I'm sure he'd like to get back into an F1 car, he does have to consider that he isn't getting any younger and his body is going to be less tolerant of the demands as time goes on. If I was him, I'd like to assume that I could be content with what I have already accomplished in the sport and realize it isn't worth throwing away a relatively cushy consultant role just to give one last effort at driving. Maybe MS feels the same way.

[Richard]

Schumi is with Ferrari primarily for his endorsement/PR value. Like Michael Jordon and Nike.

That's why you'll never see him race for anyone else.

[xpensive]

MrM was educated in Bavaria and speaks the language fluently. His parents were married in Germany in 1936,
with guess who as witness?

Silly me then. I thought all those rumours of bias for the Ferrari team, and the secret concorde annex bribing them with millions, was for an Italian team.

I think the monetary "briberies" to the Ferrari team is coming from MrE and FOM, while FIA's leaniency on Schumacher's sporting transgressions was due to MrM being a devoted Germano-phile since childhood.

[WhiteBlue]

While I'm sure he'd like to get back into an F1 car, he does have to consider that he isn't getting any younger and his body is going to be less tolerant of the demands as time goes on. If I was him, I'd like to assume that I could be content with what I have already accomplished in the sport and realize it isn't worth throwing away a relatively cushy consultant role just to give one last effort at driving. Maybe MS feels the same way.

Pretty good summary. Bottom line is: You never know. Although reason would call for a pass on this, emotion has compelled people to do great things against reason. Fans can only hope it would happen again.

I believe that practically everybody in F1 would like to see Michael come back for one year just for the added value to the show. Even if he cannot win another championship having him challenge Alonso in the Ferrari and Hamilton in the McLaren would be a massive story.

The longer this goes the more is probably known about the 2010 Merc design. In this situation some early testing would be great. We would probably see Michael in a 2009 Brawn with heavy fuel loads if it were allowed.

[jamsbong]

Will he comeback? I'm not sure. Do I wish that he would come back? YES!!

I'm not sure if I should take the media seriously. Seems to me the off-season has no news... so they need to fill the blank space with rumors and Schumi comeback rumors is the most interesting.

After all, all the manufacturers are gone now so F1 is not as interesting anymore.

[WhiteBlue]

It looks like this poll could be contradicted by reality.

[Pandamasque]

Where's manchild when you need him?

[sticky667]

So, Michael Schumacher has agreed a one-year deal with Mercedes GP..but, only if Ferrari agree to release him. Di-Montezemolo not happy. #f1

Speculation about Michael Schumacher's potential Formula 1 comeback with Mercedes has moved up a gear after German newspaper Bild reported today that a deal had been agreed.

Although Bild did not quote any sources, it said it had learned that a one-year deal had been concluded and that a contract would be signed imminently ready for an announcement next week.

[WhiteBlue]

Montezuma will have no leverage to stop Michael's come back. It is good for F1. If Michael decides to drive he will have FIA, FOM and half the other teams behind him. They know that the value of sponsorship will increase if Michael comes back. There will be many more TV viewers and bums on seats just to watch his final season.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80556?

I see that Jenson Button fears for Michael's reputation if he is less than sensational on his come back. From my point of view I can say that Jenson needs not worry. I have spend hundreds of hours over the last 18 years watching Michael race against several generations of drivers on good and bad days. I will never forget the experience. If he comes back it will be for the sheer joy of competing and not for money (he will probably drive for a very small salary). His real fans know very well what he has done and will be delighted to see him back whatever the results will be.

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_ ... t_id=39673

Pitpass is publishing some wild speculation. The main issue from my point of view is the assertion that Nico Rosberg will move elsewhere if Michael comes back. Rosberg himself sounded very different. His comment "Ich fänds klasse (it would be fantastic)." http://www.spiegel.de/sport/formel1/0,1 ... 36,00.html

[Giblet]

I thought to myself, I wonder how much slower he is going to be due to his age, but before putting my foot in my mouth about him being slower because of his age, I did a quick goog and found this:

Reaction Time

Many experiments have been done to see how quickly a person can respond to a stimulus. For example, how much time passes between the moment a driver sees the brake lights of the car ahead come on, and the moment he slams on the brakes? Some of the results are curious: if you are right-handed, you can respond with your right hand about 3% faster than with your left – and conversely for a left-handed person. Responding with the feet takes about 20% longer than responding with the hands.
The most important experimental result is one everyone knows: past the age of 40 reaction time increases. Notice, however, that 30-year-olds react faster than 20-year-olds. The table below compares reaction times to a stimulus that is seen (a light coming on) and one that is heard (a buzzer).
Reaction Time (milliseconds)
age
(years) females males
stimulus seen stimulus heard stimulus seen stimulus heard
20 320 310 240 230
30 260 200 220 190
40 340 300 260 240
50 360 300 270 250
60 440 420 380 370


The age combined with his experience should make him faster overall than when he was 30, not taking any other factors whatsoever in to account, making the above pointless to a point, but interesting as well.

[jamsbong]

Good point Giblet, I didn't know that as well and I don't understand the table very well. But I'll take your word saying that 40yr old is not slow.

One thing is for sure, Schumi is highly motivated this time. So if he does come back, he will win races. as usual, it is very exciting to watch.

[WhiteBlue]

Good point Giblet, I didn't know that as well and I don't understand the table very well. But I'll take your word saying that 40yr old is not slow.

The table is relatively easy to understand understand. There are only three key facts in it.

• The reaction time to an eye and an ear input are proportional which means it is an issue of the nerves and brain and not of the eyes or ears
• Reaction time for women is always slightly longer than for men
• Reaction time over age is a U shaped curve with the lowest reaction time at 30 and at 40 approximately the same as 20.

It mean that a very healthy individual who was good at 20 will be only marginally worse with 40 but will deteriorate from there relatively quickly.

One thing is for sure, Schumi is highly motivated this time. So if he does come back, he will win races.

I agree that motivation is a key factor. Everybody who followed Michael's training program and his interviews in summer can have very little doubt that he is motivated like hell. He knows that it is not forever but only for a season and he has the chance to do something very special again.

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2009/12/s ... -of-truth/

There is plenty in it for Mercedes and for Bernie Ecclestone and it would be a disaster for Ferrari, who will lose 15 years of expensively acquired brand association to a rival car company.

This is certainly a factor but once again Michael is in a position to bring power full allies to the table. Ferrari need to improve the fuel efficiency and the power of their engine to have a decent shot at glory next year and they need the permission of the FIA for that. I can imagine that Jean Todt has set a price for that to his "friend" Luca. I'm not saying that it is necessarily the case. On the other hand there will always be things that Ferrari may want from the FIA and Todt will probably want his inaugural F1 season to be thrilling and a full success.

[marcush.]

From my own experience ,I´d say the table is correct .
But then ,how many people were tested and how many of them where top athletes and how did those perform in the test?

My guess would be that a top guy like MS has a good reaction to start with and as hes not wasting his health it will remain so for a quite long time but
more so he has a topnotch ability to anticipate what is coming ,which is a lot more valuable than simple reactions to events.
It is a big misconception to think superhuman reactions would make a good racedriver
,I would bet this is far from reality .Those guys who have the ability to actually see into the near future are those who have success .At those speeds reactiontime is not very helpful so the reduction in reactiontime is not a real issue.

Generally speaking why are the young guys faster than the old guard? there once was the talk that every child costs a econd in laptime...that was when racing could easily cost you the ultimate price.This is luckily not more the case to the same degree so the aspect of fear for life when geting older is not niggling on you as much as it did.
What might be a big factor is the debilating factor of actually racing these things -vibrations ,fumes,heat,stress in the car ,stress factors out off the car ,
travelling ,pressure to suceed etc all this surely wears most drivers out to the extend that they just have not the desire to do that anymore to themselves.
Not so Michael Schumacher,he jumped out of the car into the next contest into a new challenge also ina racing environment ,racing is all to him and to do the
pinnacle of Autoracing again just for the fun of it is a big chance for him after
he had to realize that Motorbike racing at the level he was demanding from himself was not possible without getting hurt as everytime you go a little step to far the
word injury pops up in your mind...reaction see above F in the good old days ...the ones who where made for driving these things on the limit had to leave the party early normally.

[Giblet]

I would say super human rhythm is as important as reaction time, for a race driver. Cat like reflexes can only help, but can hinder sometimes with too many minute adjustments, when sometimes the overall mean will be faster or easier on the car.

Reaction time can only be tested with stimulus seen heard or felt. If you don't perceive the stimulus, you won't be able to react.

Can you hear me Mr. Sutil?

[CMSMJ1]

I hope he stays retired and keeps his reputation.

Alan Jones did not help himself with the Beatrice Haas did he?

I like Schumi, he was fast and great to watch..but times change and looking forwards there is nothing in it for him.

Does anyone seriously think he could win a WDC in 2010. Not a cat in hells chance.