Why Schumacher is making a comeback

It's one of the biggest stories of the year... Michael Schumacher coming out of retirement to stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa. Adam Cooper looks at the real reasons behind Ferrari's and Schumacher's decision to rekindle their on-track relationship

Take your mind back to Silverstone in July 1999. David Coulthard had just won the British Grand Prix for McLaren, but the talking point of the afternoon was the accident that befell Michael Schumacher. It had been confirmed that he had a broken leg – he’d be out for some time, and his world championship challenge was over once more.

Pondering the consequences at the time, I caught sight of the then Minardi driver and Ferrari tester Luca Badoer leaving the paddock unnoticed. I wandered across and quietly asked for his mobile number, telling him that I’d give him a call for a quick interview if there was some big news in the coming days.

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