Call me radical for suggesting that purely on the basis of last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, the Michael Schumacher who won ninety-one Grand Prix for a return of seven World Championships and re-wrote near enough every record known to man, is back.
From twenty-six outings since the German’s sensational return to Formula One last season, Schumacher’s best return is four, um … fourth placed finishes.
You could argue that everything fell into place on Sunday: conditions were heaven as far as the “regenmeister” is concerned, competitors fell by the wayside, and the ensuing safety cars allowed him to remain close to the front.
But is wasn’t as much about the final outcome as it was the manner in which Schumacher went about his day.
The bottom line is that he was mixing it with guys who have infinitely superior machinery at their disposal, and taking into account the employment of the contrived KERS and DRS technologies, Schumacher can consider himself extremely unlucky to have placed only fourth.
There’s every chance that without the free ticket offered by these devices, the German would have finished on the bottom step of the podium at the very least. And second place wouldn’t have been inconceivable.
But that’s irrelevant.
There is something magical when you watch Michael Schumacher at work, a certain feeling that something special is in the pipelines, and it is this which has been missing since his comeback.
On Sunday though, it was back.
And in a big way.
There’s never been doubting any of Schumacher’s application behind the wheel, not even at the darkest times, such as this season’s Turkish Grand Prix. But in Canada, it was as if a sleeping giant had awoken.
You only need to see the final lap for proof.
Having ceded third place to Red Bull’s Mark Webber two laps earlier, he would have been forgiven for backing off and settling for a still credible fourth. But when he crossed the chequered flag, he was a mere five tenths behind the Australian.
The tactical nous for which Schumacher was once famous also made a re-appearance at Canada, taking decisive, race-defining gambles, at crucial stages throughout the event.
It may not sound like much to go on, one measly fourth place where many variables which happen usually only once or twice a season took effect, but Schumacher’s effort went beyond accepting his luck, and it was evident for all to see.
The satisfaction, and motivation that he can take from his drive could arguably be the turning up of the heater from pilot to “you don’t want to know what”, because when Michael Schumacher gets on a roll, he stays on a roll.
We now go to Valencia, a track where last season the German finished fifteenth, his worst even race finish.
But that was only after the deployment of a safety car following Mark Webber’s death defying flip stopped him in his tracks in pit lane whilst running in the top five.
Stranger things have happened in Formula One.
If anybody can seize the initiative and build on what appears on face value as a small gain, but in reality is a quantum leap, it is Michael Schumacher.
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