Michael Schumacher returns in F1 Ferrari test

Schumacher scrawled his name across the F1 history books in a fat red pen

He will join Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen as F1 teams being their final test ahead of the new season.

Trackside’s Keith Collantine asked whether the seven times champion stopped racing too soon.

When Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula 1 in 2006, the career of the most successful F1 driver came to an end.

With 91 race victories and seven world drivers’ championships, five with legendary Italian team Ferrari, Schumacher scrawled his name across the F1 history books in a fat red pen.

But he left behind legions of fans hoping for more – for the magic 100th race win, for yet another championship.

And he left many more wondering just how well he would do if had ever raced against a first-class team mate – something he never really did in his F1 career.

Although Schumacher said he left F1 because he wanted to, many commentators suggested he was really leaving because Ferrari had signed Kimi Raikkonen, and Schumacher didn’t want to be partnered with the ultra-fast Finn.

When Schumacher tested for Ferrari late last year he was fastest of all. But Ferrari changed their testing programme so he wouldn’t be on track at the same time as Raikkonen.

Today the two racers will drive alongside each other at Ferrari for the first time in testing at the Circuit de Catalunya. The team may say the purpose of the test is to prepare the F2008 for the first round of the season. But for the two drivers, pride is at stake.

Last time Schumacher turned up to test British F1 driver David Coulthard joked: “I think there is a guy called Michael. It looks as though he’s got a talent. He will make his way to F1…”

Schumacher said much the same about Britain’s new F1 star Lewis Hamilton when the pair met at a kart race in 2001. But they were destined not to race against each other in F1 – Hamilton making his debut the race after Schumacher retired.

It’s the F1 battle we missed out on – Schumacher and Raikkonen at Ferrari, versus Hamilton at McLaren. If Schumacher rang up Ferrari next week and asked for his race seat back, would they turn him down?

I don’t think so. And I hope he does.

Did Michael Schumacher retire too soon? Who will be F1 champion this year? Have your say on the Auto Trader Blog.