Schumi returns to F1!

[Aurora40]

Schumacher signed to drive with Mercedes F1, along with Rosberg. So he'll be back with Brawn, and back in the driver's seat. Pretty neat!

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/23/video-bbc-interviews-schumacher-about-his-return-to-mercedes-be/

[flyin ryan]

Pretty cool deal. Will be interesting. My thinking is Schumi's skill-set/competitive fire may have dropped a little...happens with age, by maybe 5%...if that's the case, will be very interesting to see him 'Race' with the field instead of pulling away from them. Had some good battles earlier on with Damon Hill then later Jacques Villeneuve.

[tomtom72]

:cool: Now this could make for a very interesting season indeed!

Mike said he's been doing some work outs in karts....yea it's not an F1 chassis but those karts do beat you up. If he can take the beating and still be able to drive effectively ( concentration ) he may not have lost too much off of his skill set?

This could be the makings of a headache for the rest of the field, Mike and Ross together again.

Now I can't wait for March!:mrgreen:

[flyin ryan]

Now I can't wait for March!:mrgreen:I'm with you :)

[Jeffvette]

F1 was dying pretty quick. Schumi will be a good pump of attention and money to the F1 circuit. I think you will find there will be a small curve to get him up to speed and extremely competetive. I give him 3 races to a win.

[flyin ryan]

I give him 3 races to a win.Ya'...I don't know about that...? Everything is going to be pretty wide open to start the year though. Wonder what the line is for how long before he wins a race? I can see him winning in 3, or never winning again...just so hard to say :confused:. Will be interesting for sure :).

[tomtom72]

Good points Jeff & Ryan. I wasn't thinking about it from F1's point of marketing view. It's got to be a "gift" to the organizers for sure.

I was thinking about the "rust" question. No doubt there has to be some. I believe that a good tell tale will be the results the first time Ross asks Mike to make up time because the leader has pitted. We all remember what he used to do in those situations, towards the end of a stint on light fuel. If he can find that aspect of his abilities again and it remained intact, this will be a treat to watch. I would always marvel at that aspect of his talent when it was displayed during the races.

I know one thing that he can still bring to the table right away, his devotion to car development. The only thing that I see as an obstacle are the testing rules now. If those rules were different, the smile on Ross's face would swallow his ears.

JMHO
:cheers:

[flyin ryan]

I wasn't thinking about it from F1's point of marketing view. It's got to be a "gift" to the organizers for sure.
Canada (Montreal) has it's race back at just the right time :).

[tomtom72]

Yes, and I was thinking that I may start looking into going to my first F1 race. :mrgreen:

[flyin ryan]

Yes, and I was thinking that I may start looking into going to my first F1 race. :mrgreen:Good...your a lot closer to Montreal than I am. I hope you go!

[Aurora40]

F1 was dying pretty quick. Schumi will be a good pump of attention and money to the F1 circuit.
I thought this season was shaping up to be one of the most interesting ones I could remember, even before Schumi's announcement.

Two US F1 teams competing, the return of Lotus, it should be pretty interesting!

[flyin ryan]

Two US F1 teams competing:confused:...You mean one team, two cars?

[Aurora40]

:confused:...You mean one team, two cars?

Wasn't there a second US-based team, besides USF1, that was competing for one of the new team slots?

[LGAFF]

http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/stig-revealed

Might be old news or a farce as he was there to drive the FXX

[tomtom72]

Ryan, yea I'm closer to Montreal...I guess "close" is relative as for you it's a plane ride! I've never been to Canada, this will be a new experience for me if I can find the budget to attend the race weekend. I know the tickets are serious cash, not like going to Lime Rock or Road Atlanta or VIR for a ALMS or Rolex race weekend!:sign10:

I may just bite the bullet and book thru either the F1 web site or try those GP Tour guys that I see on speed channel. I know going as a first timer I will not know any of the "in's & out's" and proly not maximize my weekend if I try to just buy tickets and do it all on my own.:dontknow:

I have to agree with Bob and Ryan about this season. I thought the new chassis rules combined with Merc & the F cars fighting it out to the end in 08, and add in the new testing rules made for some very "different" grids & races. Perhaps the absence of Mike's super-star persona did hurt, but by the time the teams got back from the Far East swing it seemed there were good crowds at the events. I've no idea what the perception of the major sponsors toward the absence of Mike did to their financial support levels? I also think that our "blow up" economically didn't help either. JMHO :o

Yea, only one US F1 team on the grid for next year.:thumbsup:

[flyin ryan]

Wasn't there a second US-based team, besides USF1, that was competing for one of the new team slots?Uh...don't think so...four 'new' teams total with USF1 being one of the four. Wish there was two U.S. teams though.