Prost Says Schumacher's Return to Top Form Is Impossible

Lately, everybody keeps making excuses for Michael Schumacher's struggles during his first year of F1 return. While his team boss Ross Brawn thinks a better F1 simulator would have helped Schu get better reacquainted with driving at F1 standards, Schu himself blames the Bridgestone tires, while sources close to him argue that his 2010 car was actually set up for Jenson Button.

And to all that, quadruple F1 champion Alain Prost says one thing: Schumacher's return to his previous form in F1 is impossible, and any explanation to his poor form in 2010 is an excuse. According to one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, the 42-year old is simply “unrealistic” when publicly targeting a new world title in his second F1 career.

“His decision to come back was personal and I respect it,” said Prost in a recent interview with Swiss newspaper Le Matin Dimanche. “I think it's impossible, at his age, to return to where he was in the past, but I hope he proves me wrong.”

Schumacher admitted at the moment he signed his 3-year deal with Mercedes GP that he sees his return to F1 as a challenge and that there is only one aim to his second career: add an 8th world title to his tally. And while that wasn't possible in 2010, Schumacher hinted that he expects to improve to podiums and maybe even race wins in 2011, while going all in for the crown next year.

As far as Prost goes, there's no question mark there regarding a potential return to F1, although the Frenchman did admit that he fancies driving a modern F1 car nowadays. His motivation, however, would be totally different from Schumacher's.

“Only to assess the developments in technology, which has always fascinated me,” he explained.