Reports of Michael Schumacher's F1 demise may be greatly exaggerated | Sport | The Observer

Reports of Michael Schumacher's F1 demise may be greatly exaggerated | Sport | The Observer

The seven-times world champion, who has won a record 91 races, has not only failed to win a grand prix since his comeback last season, but has not even made it on to the podium. His last top-three position was in 2006. But two weeks ago, in Canada, he finished fourth and promised something even better in that astonishing race, in which the average speed was 46mph.

Schumacher has also looked solid in Valencia and though he will start eighth on the grid on Sunday that is not as bad as things were at the start of the season. In the first three races he did not even get into Q3, the top 10 shoot-out for pole, while his team-mate Nico Rosberg qualified in seventh, ninth and fourth.

In the last five races, Schumacher has made the top 10, qualifying eighth, 10th, fifth, eighth and eighth again on Saturday.