Thank You Massa!!!!!

[WABIT]

BEEEEEEST!!!!!

Seven time World Champion Michael Schumacher has made a shock return to Formula 1 to replace his injured fellow Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, it was announced on July 29 on Schumacher's personal website.

The German legend retired in 2006 and is now aged 40, but the magnetic pull of Ferrari and Formula One racing was simply irresistible for the world's most successful driver of all time, who has pledged his allegiance to the team in times of crisis, and will pit himself against the young lions of the sport, in particular Lewis Hamilton and the 11 years younger Jenson Button. Schumacher is set to return at the European Grand Prix on August 23 2009.

"It is true that the Formula 1 chapter has long been closed for me," said Schumacher in his personal website.

"It is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation. And as the competitor that I am, I very much look forward to facing this challenge."

Schumacher indicated that his return is only to help the team for which he won five of his titles and, in particular, Massa with whom he developed a strong friendship as a fellow driver and as his personal mentor. "I will stand in for as long as Massa is sidelined by the serious head injuries he sustained in the Hungarian Grand Prix last week" Schumacher said.

"For team loyalty reasons I can not ignore this unfortunate situation," said the former Ferrari driver.

Reportedly, before announcing his decision, the German checked that Massa's condition was improving and asked if it was OK if he used his car until the Brazilian could return. Massa had told Schumacher "no problem".

[velly_16v_cab]

i am sooooo happy over this news...MC will turn up the heat

[dubbed]

I must be the only one not looking forward to him coming back!!

[Lorenz]

Im with you on this one dubbed, he has had his time and won enough...

[Blitzen]

I'm not either...As unfortunate and freakish as Massa's accident was(it blows me away each time I see it), I think they should give Marc Gene a return run. He is their primary test driver, and although not a race winner or multiple world champ, he is a good driver in his own right, and I'm sure he is pretty pissed about not getting a drive too.
(Let this be know though, I was never a Michael Schumacher fan, so maybe there is a bit of an underpining resentment there...!!)

[evorobin]

Waiter can I get some wog sauce on my fiat 500 please...however I will now watch the races so I can see Webber beat him. I'm an aussie now!

[gerhard]

Massa has to be the unluckiest driver in F1 ever (apart from perhaps Lauda and, of course, those who died), - he should have been champ last year.

The luckiest man in F1 in recent times has to be Hamilton, and in past times Damon Hill, Villeneuve, and Alonso. Why - because although they are all excellent drivers, they lucked into the best cars on debut and didn't have to work too hard for their titles.

The best driver of recent memory is Schumacher, M - why? because he did not luck into the best car at any time in his career, but developed a Ferrari shocker into a multiple winning car over multiple seasons. Only the usual measure of F1 misfortune prevented him from winning perhaps another 3 titles.

I for one will be pleased to see what he can do with the current dog of a car, although it seems to have found a bit of pace at the last race. It's a bit of an ask, though, for a 40yo, but if he doesn't do too well the haters will no doubt be out in force.

In F1 the car will turn you from hero to zero or vice versa in the blink of an eye - just look at this year with Hamilton out of the top 10 for the first half of the season, suddenly up the front, and Jenson Button suddenly nowhere.

[TopBloke]

it will be interesting, watching the reaction on his face as the rest of the field go past him. alot has changed since the last time he pulled on the suit