When seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher announced his return for the start of the 2010 season, the F1 community buzzed with anticipation.
The reality, at least in the first 18 months, was very different to the hype however.
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Schumacher struggled in his first season, finishing 70 points behind his team-mate Nico Rosberg, almost half his compatriot?s total. The trend looked initially like it might continue in 2011, with Schumacher picking up less than a third of Rosberg?s total over the first four races.
Signs are, however, that the old master is turning it around. He now sits just four points behind Rosberg, having outscored him in each of the last two races.
The questions of course remain: is it all coming back to Schumacher? Is the German on the verge of rediscovering the form that made him such an irresistible force in his prime at Ferrari? Or is his recent upturn more a product of luck, fortune or simply circuits suited to the Mercedes car?
Much will be answered this weekend in Singapore, where racing under the floodlights on a warm, bumpy circuit poses its own unique challenges. The Castrol EDGE Rankings can also shed some light on Schumacher?s form however, using the complex algorithm which determines the Rankings system. Using that system, Schumacher?s average score over the past two races ? a brace of fifth places at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza ? is 775 points.
Since his 2010 comeback Schumacher has exceeded that total several times in individual races. Indeed, his highest ever return for Mercedes came at Istanbul in 2010 rather than the current season, where fifth on the grid and fourth at the flag returned 921 points.
Barcelona in 2010 and Canada in 2011 also saw Schumacher score higher totals than his average over the past two races, suggesting that in terms of raw pace alone, Schumacher?s recent form has not been exceptional.
What is more remarkable is the consistency hinted at by the past two races. Spa and Monza represent the highest back-to-back totals Schumacher has recorded since the start of his comeback at Bahrain in March 2010.
Consistency, of course, was one of the hallmarks of Schumacher at the height of his powers. With Mercedes seemingly down on performance in comparison to Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari, a brace of fifth places may well represent the best Schumacher can hope for at present. If so, we may well be seeing Schumacher coming back to form. Eighth and sixth in the first two practice sessions at Singapore hint at genuine progress, with Schumacher significantly ahead of Rosberg in both sessions.
He will be hoping the trend continues as he bids to finally make a success of his much vaunted comeback?
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The Castrol EDGE Rankings is based on drivers' measurable performance over the last 12 months, including everything from their grid position to fastest laps. For further information on how the Castrol Rankings scores are calculated, click here.
