Michael Schumachers return could make 2010 Formula One season best yet

By Tom Cary Published: 10:00PM GMT 06 March 2010

New dawn: Michael Schumcaher"s F1 lapse with Mercedes presents a new plea for him and for drivers similar to Lewis Hamilton who have never faced him prior to Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Teams melancholy to leave the party. Max Mosley putting the fright of God in to everybody by melancholy to stay at the party. Bernie Ecclestone praising Hitler"s capability "to get things done". Thrills, spills, costly bills. And at the finish of it all a British universe champion.

How do you tip it? Simple. Lure Formula One"s majority successful motorist of all time, a seven-time universe hold up worshiped and reviled in roughly subsequent to magnitude inside of the paddock, out of early retirement at the age of 41; plonk him in an all-German "national" group recalling the important pre-war Silver Arrows; representation them opposite an all-British "dream team" featuring a serve dual universe champions, one of whom left the aforementioned "German" group in hostile conform last autumn.

F1 Podcast: 2010 preview H�kkinen sits behind to watch Schumi quip Button gets early corner over Hamilton Schumacher vehement by F1 lapse FIA to inspect McLaren"s new wing US F1 contingency re-apply for subsequent year as Stefan GP bid deserted

Next, stratagem a fourth universe hold up to a revitalised Ferrari, coincidentally the same jilted group with whom the seven-time hold up picked up the bulk of his silverware; supplement a inspired immature outfit bullish about anticipating their wings this term, and have certain that all 4 teams are distant by the breadth of a cigarette paper at the last pre-season test. Then lay behind and watch the fireworks.

If 2009 will be remembered for movement off the track, afterwards 2010 is moulding up to be the mom of all seasons on it. It competence be pulling it to contend that any one of eight drivers could lift the pretension come November, but it is not far off the truth. Each of the big boys has a plain seeking choice and has betrothed to provide their drivers equally.

Of course, the bookmakers have their favourites. Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, Michael Schumacher at Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull. But for the initial time in vital memory, each one of those superb drivers faces a serious exam from inside of their motorhome, let alone from without. Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber are no slouches, and each of them carries a rather large thinly slice on his shoulder about being noticed as second best.

It is the majority rival grid in a little time. Perhaps of all time. And already the sub-plots are stacking up similar to an EastEnders omnibus. Where will the initial bust-up happen? Who will expostulate whom off the road?

Add to that flamable brew the actuality that we have 3 new teams in in between them Lotus, behind in F1 for the initial time in sixteen years who will probably be scrabbling around removing in people"s way; a host of new drivers together with Bruno Senna, nephew of the late, good Ayrton Senna; and races in places as far flung as South Korea. Bernie"s query for ever some-more inconsistent locations shows no signs of vouchsafing up, even as F1"s pied piper approaches his 80th birthday this autumn.

And what of the rules? Isn"t that what determines the racing? Well, it is tough to know what the outcome will be of the anathema on in-race refuelling for the initial time given 1993. We won"t unequivocally know until the initial competition is over in Bahrain a week today. But with a opening pitch of five or 6 seconds per path in in between a fully-laden car and one using on empty, one thing is sure: the opening of the cars will shift enormously over the march of a grand prix.

Pit-stops will be high-octane observation for armchair fans, with stops scheduled to last no some-more than 3 seconds. And as for the racing, a shift to the points complement that encourages drivers to go for competition victories rather than solve for second symbol should meant the big guns receiving some-more pot shots at each other.

As Button remarkable this week: "Bahrain is a circuit you can pass at. Turn One will be engaging with 160kg in the car."

The fear, of course, is that it might all infer to be rather boring. Everyone is presaging fireworks but the actuality stays that, over the last couple of seasons at least, the majority thespian incidents in F1 have taken place afar from the track. In some-more grands prix than we would caring to admit, the racing has been processional, with overtaking opportunities tough to come by.

We have indispensable the scandals to obstruct courtesy from that. Worryingly (or happily, depending on that side of the blockade you sit), Jean Todt, Mosley"s inheritor in the FIA presidential prohibited seat, shows no desire to throw grenades about in the character of his predecessor. Peace and peace reigns.

It can"t last. This, to steal from the Beeb"s pretentious intro credits last year, is the roar of science. This is Formula One. where disharmony and potency run palm in hand. You can never mangle the chain. Dum, dum dum dum, dum dum dum dum dum dummmmm …

What"s new for this season:

1 The anathema on in-race refuelling equates to fuel tank capacities are up from around 80 litres to something nearer the 250 mark. For those fans disturbed about losing one of the majority appropriate (or only) opportunities for overtaking, it should be stressed that there will still be array stops for tyre changes.

2 To house the large fuel tank, and the actuality that cars will weigh around 100kg some-more at the begin of a competition than they did in 2009, the 2010 machines will underline a wider back and longer wheelbase.

3 The FIA has lifted the smallest weight of the car from 605kg to 620kg. Initially dictated to equivalent the waste faced by heavier drivers in KERS-equipped cars, teams are not using the argumentative energy-boost device this year.

4 Front tyres have been narrowed from 270mm to 245mm to urge the change of grip.

5 Race winners will be awarded twenty-five points, second-placed drivers get eighteen with the subsequent eight drivers receiving 15, 12, 10, eight, six, four, dual and one point respectively. It is thought that a seven-point opening in in between initial and second, rather than two, will foster a race-to-win attitude.