a new hope

I had almost given up on him, but I should have known better. True, my heart sank when I heard the news that he threw qualifying away, but this is Michael Schumacher we're talking about. 7-time Formula 1 World Champion. And behind him is the oldest team in Formula 1, with the largest fan base in all motorsport teams. So how come I ended up doubting the weltmeister?

Well, it certainly didn't help that Ferrari had probably one of the worst season starts in their history. After dominating the 2004 season, I expected them to be at their best and to pounce on their opponents early on. Surprise, surprise. It seemed to have gone the other way around. Ferrari seemed to have underestimated the other teams big time, and hence, they ended up losing big time. Who would've thought the other red team, Toyota, would be among the frontrunners after a couple of races? Certainly not me.

And so I watched as Ferrari's fortunes shifted from bad to worse. After Rubens Barrichello's 2nd place finish in Melbourne, no other podium finish followed. Instead, there were tire failures and all sorts of engine problems. The press were hard on Ferrari, almost discounting Michael from the Drivers' Championship at this early in the season.

Then came Imola. When he did well in the first qualifying, I found it really admirable that Michael doesn't seem to be cracking under all the pressure he's getting from all directions. However, he showed hints that he's still human after all when he made that mistake in the second qualifying. That sank my spirits, and I was beginning to look forward to the next race.

Apparently, Michael had other plans. He hadn't given up, not even after having to start 3 quarters away from the pole. Patiently, he made his way up, and I saw what I thought only happened in the movies. The fourteenth placer became the fourth placer. Oh wow, I thought. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Michael, however, didn't stop at that. He quickly grabbed third place, and next set his sights on Jenson Button's BAR Honda, a good 20 seconds away. In F1, that would've equated to a mountain of an obstacle. And that mountain Michael gamely climbed and overcame. It was so surreal watching him fly around the track, shaving 2 seconds off Button's lead after each lap. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Although he didn't quite pull off the miracle of winning the race, Michael ignited the dying embers of hope in every tifosi's heart. His car was obviously faster than the winning car, and Alonso and Renault were just fortunate that Imola is a circuit with almost no overtaking places. This spells H-O-P-E for the team of the prancing horse. There's no doubt about it, the last grand prix's message is unmistakable. Ferrari are back.

written on 27 April 2005