Just leave the German living legend alone! Of course, it’s Michael Schumacher who I’m referring to. Since the start of the 2010 season, the media, and his critics, have been taking turns to knock punches at the 7 times F1 World Champion. Their prowess is only limited to off-track attacks, because, trust me, you put even one of those media men or critics, even half his age, in an F1 car on track, and they’ll find the barriers before they can even consider their next assault – whether their necks break due to impact, or due to the heavy braking forces is simply a matter of detail that I wouldn’t care to dwell on.

Quite an unlikely start to my column isn’t it? Yes, it has been a terrible start to his comeback season – Schumi’s taken time not only adjusting to the new team and car, but has also been comprehensively out paced by his German team-mate, Nico Rosberg. Not quite what the Mercedes Benz bosses expected when they signed up Michael Schumacher late last year. In fact, it’s not what you and me expected too – leave aside Michael Schumacher himself.

Michael Schumacher is one name that will be etched in the history of Formula 1 for decades to come. With an almost unbeatable record aided with precise driving, and balls of steel (pardon my French), Schumi scaled F1 greatness in his 14 years of racing in the top flight. His 7 World Championship titles were no mean feat, and there’s no doubt in my mind that for years to come every single F1 team on the grid will be hunting for the ‘next’ Michael Schumacher. Now this was 2006.

Switch to 2009, just when the F1 world thought that there was a ‘Baby Schumi’ (Sebastian Vettel) on the grid, and just when McLaren thought that they had found their ‘Schumacher’ (Lewis Hamilton), and also when Ferrari underestimated Schumi’s desire to race, we had Michael Schumacher himself announce his expected return with an unexpected Mercedes Grand Prix. Many Ferrari-Schumacher loyalists felt ditched, but I just said to myself – ‘who cares, the God is back.’

Every move of Schumacher on and off the track makes waves, and, unsurprisingly, so did his decision to come-back. Schumacher’s on-track moves often elicited the strongest reactions, but the reaction to this news was perhaps greater than any in the past. Former racers and rivals were split too – many said that he had announced his doom, while others humbly supported his decision. The best reactions were from the current grid of F1 racers – they were all in support of Schumi’s decision. While they claimed to be unflustered by having a ‘father figure’ on the grid, I’d bet that there was some element of fear in their eyes as they lined up alongside him on the grid in Melbourne. What if they ended up being beaten (and yes, ‘what if he punts me at the first corner like he’s been known to do’)?

Schumacher’s comeback decision was also supported by the Ringmaster, Bernie Ecclestone – now why would he not? Post-Schumi’s retirement, he was out blaming F1 drivers for lack of persona. And with the return of one of F1’s most controversial racers, he was certain that the followership of F1 would double, if not quadruple (the more the followers, the higher the sponsorships garnered, and that means more money for Bernie). Bernie also happens to be one of the few who believe that Schumacher can indeed win one more world title in his second stint in F1.

The funniest, and most obvious, reaction was that of Luca di Montezemolo – the Chairman of Fiat. At feeling ‘cheated’ by Schumacher, he claimed that the ‘new’ Schumacher was only a clone of the legend who achieved his maximum victories with the Scuderia. An expected reaction I’d say, but, if you understood Italian humour, you’d understand Luca better. However, all jokes aside, is Schumacher really a clone of his previous avatar? Are his struggles genuine, or has the 41 year old former World Champion really lost some of his menacing pace? These questions are not yours or mine alone, but world across, the media, critics, and even fans wish to know!

To be honest, the answers are not straightforward. But I will attempt to simplify what dogs Schumacher, and I don’t particularly think the answers are too technical. Firstly, Michael Schumacher has been driving Jenson Button’s car. Yes, believe it or not, the Merc GP 2010 challenger was designed keeping Jenson Button in mind. Now, he signed up with McLaren only late last year, and we all know that F1 teams start working on the next season’s car by the time it is mid-season in the current year.

The Bridgestone tyres are different. While the compounds wouldn’t have changed much, their sizes have. The front tyres are narrower this year, and narrow tyres mean lower front grip. And it’s the tyres that we’ve seen Schumacher struggle with the most at GPs this season – and specifically the softer ones (Canada was where he was overtaken by both Force India cars on the last lap while he struggled his way around the track on blistered soft tyres).

The one big rule that’s affected his comeback is the lack of testing time. F1 teams, in an effort to minimize their operating budgets, have banned mid-season testing. This means that barring the few hundred kilometers of testing pre-season, Schumacher has had no testing miles under his belt. World Champion or not, testing is one key component in motor-racing. Testing is what prepares you for Race Day, and Michael Schumacher has had none of that this season! Had pre-season tests been allowed, he would have had more time to get used to Jenson’s car, and, of course, those narrow Bridgestone tyres.

Not many are out blaming the Mercedes GP team for Michael’s failure, but if you noticed the trend last season, the Merc GP (then Brawn GP) ran away with back-to-back race wins at the start of the season, but struggled to keep pace towards the end. The primary reason was that even though they won races, the Brawn GP team couldn’t attract enough sponsorship to accelerate the development of their 2010 challenger. The Mercedes buyout was executed too late in the season for it to have any significant impact this season. As a result, the Merc GP car isn’t the best car on the grid. However, they’ve done their best, and given their all to get Schumacher up to pace. Right from changing his car number pre-season, to experimenting with a longer wheelbase chassis – the team and Ross Brawn have placed their belief in legend, and that too for the long term.

However, in the Merc GP garage, when you look at the other bay (Nico Rosberg’s), you see a different picture – and it’s this picture that makes Schumacher’s comeback story bleak and hollow. Nico has not only outpaced Schumi in most races, but also notched up 3-times more points than him. Now, in the fast paced world of F1, however slow your car may be, your ultimate benchmark is your teammate!

While I might not have answered my own question, I will answer another that is doing the rounds of the media. Will Michael Schumacher call it quits at the end of 2010? Now, if you’ve followed Schumi through his early Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari days, you will agree that victory is the only way to Schumacher’s retirement!