Michael Schumacher: “In the future - who knows?”
by Don Suseelan
Michael Schumacher’s cryptic answer to the question “Might we see you in a racing car sometime in the future?” only helps to give rise to more questions on his future than answering any. Schumacher, who had been keeping a low profile since his retirement from Formula One racing last year, was spotted in the Ferrari camp at the Barcelona grand prix this year. And despite repeated questions he maintained that he had no specific role and was “just observing”. He downplayed remarks on his individual brilliance and maintained that it was always the team that counted.
A lot of people still believe that Schumacher may return to Formula One racing if not as a full time driver at least on a part- time basis. But there are, also, a lot of people who believe that his single handed dominance of the sport in the past decade has actually done a lot of harm. The competition was always for the second place. This was not helped by the fact that Schumacher’s style of driving did not win him many friends on the track. His purportedly willful collisions in the title deciding races in 1994 and 1997 left a lasting blemish on his reputation.
However, the fact remains that Schumacher is, and for a long time will continue to be, the most successful driver the sport has ever produced. He currently holds nearly every record in Formula One racing and his name, together with Ferrari, will remain as the sports best known and most successful team.
The emergence of new and young drivers, notably Lewis Hamilton, is one reason some people believe that the return of Schumacher is improbable. Improbable, yes - but not impossible. Schumacher was a man who always stood up to challenges. Add to that his statement that he has not completely ruled out a return to racing and who knows – an interesting duel between Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton might be on the cards.
Michael Schumacher’s cryptic answer to the question “Might we see you in a racing car sometime in the future?” only helps to give rise to more questions on his future than answering any. Schumacher, who had been keeping a low profile since his retirement from Formula One racing last year, was spotted in the Ferrari camp at the Barcelona grand prix this year. And despite repeated questions he maintained that he had no specific role and was “just observing”. He downplayed remarks on his individual brilliance and maintained that it was always the team that counted.
A lot of people still believe that Schumacher may return to Formula One racing if not as a full time driver at least on a part- time basis. But there are, also, a lot of people who believe that his single handed dominance of the sport in the past decade has actually done a lot of harm. The competition was always for the second place. This was not helped by the fact that Schumacher’s style of driving did not win him many friends on the track. His purportedly willful collisions in the title deciding races in 1994 and 1997 left a lasting blemish on his reputation.
However, the fact remains that Schumacher is, and for a long time will continue to be, the most successful driver the sport has ever produced. He currently holds nearly every record in Formula One racing and his name, together with Ferrari, will remain as the sports best known and most successful team.
The emergence of new and young drivers, notably Lewis Hamilton, is one reason some people believe that the return of Schumacher is improbable. Improbable, yes - but not impossible. Schumacher was a man who always stood up to challenges. Add to that his statement that he has not completely ruled out a return to racing and who knows – an interesting duel between Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton might be on the cards.
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