Level of fitness aside, Schumacher's comeback will most likely come with a multitude of questions. Is he still up to the job? Will he help Ferrari improve in the remaining rounds of 2009? If he'll be successful, will he continue? and so on...
As far as triple F1 champion Alain Prost is concerned, the 40-year old German shouldn't have accepted Ferrari's offer in the first place. Although he did say he respects Schu's decision, Prost doesn't get how an overweight, injured ex-driver would accept taking the unnecessary risk of returning to Formula One driving.
“I don't understand his decision, but I respect it. Three years ago he stopped, he put on a little weight and he's getting over his motorbike accident. It is a slightly odd decision and a big challenge. Perhaps he just wanted to help Ferrari, because the test drivers Gene and Badoer have done some grands prix but there are clearly not as fast (as Schumacher),” Prost was quoted as saying to France's Europe 1 radio.
About the kilograms thing, Schumacher is allegedly on his way to doing something about it, as it was reported he has already taken a diet to shed the extra weight in the upcoming few weeks.
Niki Lauda, on the other hand, doesn't see anything wrong with a driver making an F1 comeback at 40 years of age.
“I was 33 when I came out of retirement and he is 40 - but you are what age you want to be. I have no concerns about his reflexes. He will be brilliant,” said Lauda in an interview with the Daily Mail.
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