Why you should care about Michael Schumacher...

He is often compared to Tiger Woods for his domination of his sport, but Schumi's list of acheivements is much more comprehensive (although his list of mistresses probably isn't). Thanks to ITV.co.uk, here is a comprehensive list of the Formula One records held by Schumacher:
* Most world titles: 7 (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
* Most consecutive titles: 5 (2000-04)
* Most grand prix wins: 91
* Most wins in a single season: 13 (2004)
* Most consecutive wins in a single season: 7 (2004)
* Most wins at the same race: 8 (French GP)
* Most wins with one team: 72 (Ferrari)
* Most wins from pole: 40
* Most pole positions: 68
* Most front-row starts: 115
* Most podium finishes: 154
* Most second place finishes: 43
* Most points finishes: 190
* Most points scored: 1,369
* Most points in a single season: 148 (from a maximum of 180, in 2004)
* Most fastest laps: 76
* Most fastest laps in a season: 10 (from a maximum of 18, in 2004)
* Most races led: 141
* Most laps led: 5,108
* Furthest distance led in a season: 2,085 miles (2004)
* Fastest race-winning average speed: 153.843mph (2003 Italian GP)
* Most consecutive podiums: 19 (USA 2001 to Japan 2002)
* Most consecutive points finishes: 24 (Hungary 2001 to Malaysia 2003)
* Most consecutive seasons with a win: 15 (1992-2006)
* Most consecutive wins from pole (6)
* Most ‘clean sweeps’ (pole, win, fastest lap): 22
* Largest points gap between champion and runner-up: 67 (2002)
* Earliest title winner: 2002 (in July, with 6 of the 17 races remaining)
* Longest continuous spell with one team: 11 seasons (Ferrari, 1996-2006)
* Most races with same team: 162 (Ferrari)
* Most time between first and last race wins: 14 years, 1 month and 1 day
* Never outqualified by his team-mate in 1992, 1993 or 1994
* Only driver to have finished every race on the podium: 2002
* Won all his ‘landmark’ GPs, winning on his 50th, 100th, 150th and 200th GP starts
* Only events he failed to win were South African, Mexican and Turkish GPs
* His record of 91 GP wins is only one shy of the combined total of the next two most winning drivers, Alain Prost (51) and Ayrton Senna (41)
* Scored points in a remarkable 76.6% of all his GP starts
* Led 56.9% of all GPs he started
* Banned or disqualified from more races than anyone else (banned from two races and disqualified from another in 1994; excluded from 1997 world championship results for collision with Jacques Villeneuve)

He's back, baby!

It's official - Michael Schumacher will be back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car next year. After five world championships with Ferrari and two with Benneton, he will bring his prodigious talents to the all-German uber-squad Mercedes-Benz. Let's see if the forty-year-old has still got it. My money is on yes.

Mystery Car of the Week

Here's an easy one. To make it a bit more interesting, name the car, the race and the year. Good luck!

Because I can...

That's why I am posting this picture of the Lancia Stratos. Perhaps one of the coolest cars ever.

Schumacher Watch Continues

Rumors continue to circulate about Michael Schumacher's return to Formula 1 next year behind the wheel of a Mercedes. His old boss, Luca di Montezemolo at Ferrari said there is a "very, very, very strong" possibility that he will be back. Count 'em...that's not one very, but three. From what I hear, the only outstanding issue now is his fitness and the state of his neck injury that kept him out of the Ferrari earlier this year.

A Schumacher return would be a great thing for F1. Plus the Mercedes merchandise department must be salivating at the prospect of all the Schumacher Mercedes hats, shirts, flags, etc. that it will sell. I have to admit, I'll be near the front of the queue.

The Changing Face of F1

Even with all the controversy, the fans have been treated to some pretty exciting racing over the last couple of years. 2010 should be no different.

We'll see three new teams and a couple reworked teams. With the addition of new teams we'll also see a bunch of new drivers to fill those extra slots...so it looks like even marginal current drivers should snag a seat for next year.

Mercedes notwithstanding, for the most part the manufacturer era is over in Formula 1. Honda pulled out last year. Toyota and BMW have pulled out this year and it appears Renault is on the brink of selling its team (but perhaps keeping the Renault name on the car). It remains to be seen whether this will be good for the sport. I tend to think it will if the privateer teams can secure strong sponsorship.

2010 will see the end of refueling, so cars will be much heavier meaning that drivers have to manage very changeable cars over the length of a Grand Prix. This should really put a premium on driver adaptability.

Last and certainly not least, there is the rumored return of one Michael Schumacher. Remember, him? I thought your would. More on that soon...