Ferrari has been forced with the prospects of finding a driver smack dab in the middle of the 2009 Formula One season. After looking around at the available drivers, the team has looked inward and settled on the iconic Michael Schumacher.
Michael Schumacher is the iconic F1 driver that won an astounding seven driver’s championships during his reign in Formula One. He was first victorious twice at Benetton where he teamed with the likes of characters like Ross Brawn to take an independent team to victory. He then made a big money move to the iconic team of Formula One – Ferrari. Ferrari was in shambles, but Schumacher brought in his own people such as Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and a host of engineers. Before you knew it, Ferrari was not only competitive, they were dominant and Schumacher was collecting championships like they grew on trees.
Schumacher retired at the end of the 2006 season. The circumstances of his retirement have always been hotly debated. For all the world, it looks like he and his people were pushed out the door at Ferrari in a power struggle. Although Schumacher remained a consultant, the likes of Byrne, Brawn and Jean Todt moved on. It is rather ironic that now it is Schumacher coming in to attempt to save the day for the team given the fractured skull suffered by Felipe Massa in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The return of Schumacher is being hailed as something akin to the return of the chosen one. The media is debating whether he will be able to win right away in the Ferrari. Such discussions are laughable. The issue is not so much Schumacher as it is the Ferrari car. The 2009 car hasn’t challenged for wins all year. It simply is not fast enough and does not handle well enough. Putting a different driver, even of the quality of Schumacher, does not change these problems. People need to simply enjoy the fact he is back and recognize that a bad car is a bad car is a bad car.
Formula One has become a bit because of the lack of personalities. The return of Schumacher will certainly spice things up. I can hardly wait for the first time he comes up on Rubens Barichello and runs him off the road!
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