Schumacher Return Drives Fans to Formula 1 2010
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Schumacher’s back – suddenly F1 just got interesting.
First up a confession: I don’t get F1. I love my sports, but Formula One bores the hell out of me.
Yet even as a complete outsider to the sport, I find myself getting excited about the forthcoming F1 season which all kicks off this Sunday in Bahrain.
F1 is changing, and the changes are good if they can galvanise a sceptic like me to get involved and engaged with racing. That’s because this year F1 has three major things going for it which elevate it beyond the niche and give it a universal appeal, dragging all sports fans into the action.
The Return of a Legend
If you like your sports, the moments you remember are the great comebacks. The triumph of the underdog is the quintessential element that makes sport exciting to watch. Basketball witnessed the greatest fairytale comeback ever when Michael Jordan came out of retirement to rejoin the Chicago Bulls in 1995 with a simple statement: “I’m back”.
Now F1 is about to have its very own Jordan moment, as Michael Schumacher comes back after a three year hiatus from racing. Like Jordan, Schumacher returns to his sport as a living legend, but a legend who at 41 has surely past his prime. F1′s most successful driver still has a point to prove if he can perform at the highest level after his time away.
Jordan took the Bulls to three straight NBA championships when he made his comeback, Schumacher could make history for Mercedes GP if he wins his eighth F1 title.
A Good Old-Fashioned Grudge Match
Heated sporting rivalry ignites the passions of sports fans like nothing else. This year along with the normal competitive edge between the drivers and the constructors, patriotism is thrown into the mix as “Team GB” go up against “Team Germany”.
For the sake of political correctness, both sides have been playing down the nationalistic card, but it’s impossible not to get caught up in the added pressure created by throwing McLaren’s best of British – Button and Hamilton – out against the old enemy in the form of Mercedes’ drivers Schumacher and Rosberg.
Let the fireworks begin.
Playing to Win
F1′s failing in previous years is that too much emphasis has been put on the tactics of pit-stops, refuelling, and holding out for second place in order to get enough points to win.
The FIA have made significant changes to the championship this year which should make F1 more tense and exciting to watch, and crucially, about the driving.
First up, refuelling is out. Cars will be heavier, carrying three times the fuel they did last season which will put more wear on brakes and tyres. Drivers are going to have to adapt their tactics and rely on their skill on the track rather than the performance of the car.
Points have also been overhauled to give a greater incentive for drivers to claim the top spot on the podium. The difference in points awarded this year between first and second place will be seven points, which will force the racers to go for glory. None of this “if I come in 5th I can still win the Championship” crap, this season the Championship will be decided on victories, such is the weighting in points.
The bottom line is, drivers will be on the track longer, with fewer stops, and pushing to win the races. Now that is something worth watching.
If you don’t get F1 and it bores “the hell” out of you then pass on the assignment to a reporter that understands the sport. You can’t be objective or even interesting if you don’t understand what “the hell” you are talking about.
One of the reasons I chose to write about F1 is because I can offer an outsider’s perspective of the events which should be objective and free of the taint of impassioned bias.
However, if you consider yourself an expert in the sport and feel you can write fluidly and with authority about the forthcoming season then I encourage you to join the Gnews community and submit an article.
We welcome your insights and knowledge.
Lily.
Schumacher, you are the best of the best. Get the job done.