61 replies to this topic

[lustigson]

Mansell's win in Adelaide was, shall we say, a little lucky but not entirely undeserved. 

 

He needed to get a bit fitter and up to speed but could still go for it.

 

I read somewhere it was a short lived comeback with Williams mostly because Patrick Head couldn't tolerate the guy anymore. Since they had an option on Mansell for the following year, he was paid out. And then he flunked out at McLaren.

 

Anyway, this was also a very successful comeback since he became Britain's highest paid sportsman that year for not driving.

 

I'd say Mansell's half-'n-half comeback in 1994 was quite successful. 4 Grands Prix resulting in 2 DNFs, a 4th place and a win — that would've been a third place had Messrs Schumacher and Hill not collided. Quite all right, I'd say.

 

His 1995 efforts, though... 

[CoolBreeze]

Michael Schumacher 1999. After the broken leg, 5 titles in a row. 

[MustangSally]

 

Suppose you could also mention the Germans from the thirties, who were excluded from motor racing post-war - the 1939 European "champion" Hermann Lang, Paul Pietsch and Hans Stuck senior were modestly successful and got World Championship starts anyway (and Lang even won Le Mans), but the triple champion Caracciola's return to racing, including an Indy 500 attempt, was a bit more unfortunate and crippled with injuries. 

 

Well, absolutely . . .  they all had an 'enforced break' during the war. Not only Germans.

 

Another comeback after the war was Pierre Levegh. His involvement in the 1955 Le Mans disaster was tragic and unfortunate, but he had previously driven 23 and a quarter hours of Le Mans by himself. 

 

Caracciola was nuts, pure racing freak. Much is made of his Nazi connections, but it seems he spent the entire war chatting people up in order to get a car once hostilities ended.

 

I love books about this period. What impressed me most was the rivalry between Auto Union and Mercedes and the crazy land speed records, which resulted in the death of Bernd Rosemeyer. 

 

What a shame BMW are such pussies these days and won't take Mercedes on.

[DeKnyff]

Alan Jones went and came back though not that well.

Mario Andretti came back in 82 and stick a Ferrari on pole at Monza.

 

Mansell came back in 94 to win in Adelaide.

 

Well, in fact it was Andretti's second come back: he spent the early seventies mixing F1 with US formulae. He left F1 for good by mid '72, but came back for the last race of 1974 and went on to win WDC in '78. So, in a certain way, his first come back was as successful as Lauda's or Prost's.

[PlatenGlass]

Has anyone mentioned Alonso's comeback after taking 2002 off? That was pretty decent!

[PlatenGlass]

Mario Andretti came back in 82 and stick a Ferrari on pole at Monza.

This reminds me - Hakkinen made a comeback of sorts in 1993 and outqualified Senna first time out.

[Dan333SP]

Well, absolutely . . .  they all had an 'enforced break' during the war. Not only Germans.

 

Another comeback after the war was Pierre Levegh. His involvement in the 1955 Le Mans disaster was tragic and unfortunate, but he had previously driven 23 and a quarter hours of Le Mans by himself. 

 

Caracciola was nuts, pure racing freak. Much is made of his Nazi connections, but it seems he spent the entire war chatting people up in order to get a car once hostilities ended.

 

I love books about this period. What impressed me most was the rivalry between Auto Union and Mercedes and the crazy land speed records, which resulted in the death of Bernd Rosemeyer. 

 

What a shame BMW are such pussies these days and won't take Mercedes on.

 

You'd probably enjoy this book if you haven't read it already-

 

http://www.amazon.co...d/dp/0955486807

 

British GP drivers working together in France during the war as undercover operatives. Pretty interesting stuff, and very well researched.

[Nemo1965]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Michael Schumacher's comeback was successful... as long as you define 'successful' as 'return on a high level' and not 'won races and stuff'.

 

Schumacher came back into a F1 with new tyres, no refuelling, different qualifying rules, and against a team-mate that out-qualified arguably the best driver of this decade the last five Grand Prix we witnessed. Rosberg was slightly better in their time together but Schumacher was not outshone.

 

Sometimes you have to a little bit lucky when you return in a sport. Schumacher was not.

[Knowlesy]

Michael Schumacher 1999. After the broken leg, 5 titles in a row. 

He was out for three months, less than an off-season.

 

Of course, Malaysia '99 was stunning. But the following seasons are absolutely irrelevant.

Edited by Knowlesy, 10 December 2015 - 13:03.

[Jejking]

Michael Schumacher 1999. After the broken leg, 5 titles in a row. 

Even I don't agree with this one. The pins were removed in 2000 if i recall correctly. After that there definitely wasn't an influence of the accident anymore. Btw: Malaysia 1999 basically proved how hard everybody fell asleep while Schumacher was away. I think he was the one who kept everyone on their toes, if he had been there Frentzen wouldn't have been in contention for the title, I'm 100% sure. McLaren wouldn't have made a mess of things just because their biggest rival was away.

[Dan333SP]

Even I don't agree with this one. The pins were removed in 2000 if i recall correctly. After that there definitely wasn't an influence of the accident anymore. Btw: Malaysia 1999 basically proved how hard everybody fell asleep while Schumacher was away. I think he was the one who kept everyone on their toes, if he had been there Frentzen wouldn't have been in contention for the title, I'm 100% sure. McLaren wouldn't have made a mess of things just because their biggest rival was away.

 

But he only dominated Malaysia because his barge boards were 10mm too high. Never forget.

[CoolBreeze]

He was out for three months, less than an off-season.

 

Of course, Malaysia '99 was stunning. But the following seasons are absolutely irrelevant.

 

 

Even I don't agree with this one. The pins were removed in 2000 if i recall correctly. After that there definitely wasn't an influence of the accident anymore. Btw: Malaysia 1999 basically proved how hard everybody fell asleep while Schumacher was away. I think he was the one who kept everyone on their toes, if he had been there Frentzen wouldn't have been in contention for the title, I'm 100% sure. McLaren wouldn't have made a mess of things just because their biggest rival was away.

 

 

Have a look on James Allen's book; Schumacher, the edge of greatness.

 

James went on to explain that Schumi broken leg was indeed a blessing in disguise. He said that short break MS had away from F1, enabled him to rebuild, recharge his batteries and get even fitter than ever. On the Malaysia 1999 podium, Mika could barely stand. MS looked ice cool, like he actually went for a Sunday stroll, rather than a race.

 

Damon Hill added to that too. He mentioned that as it was so much stress both physically and mentally to be a champion, let alone defend it, and Michael did it 5 times in a row...like as if it was nohing for him.

 

Well, it's not easy for any sportman to break a leg, and make a comeback like this.