Deepak Jain>Thu, Jan 07 10 05:27 PM
Adrian Sutil was among the legion of wide-eyed, awe-struck Germans who spent their teens admiring Michael Schumacher but the Force India driver cannot wait to unhorse the idol of his teens in this year's Formula One championship.
Sutil was just being ushered into the go-karting world by his elder brother when Schumacher joined Ferrari and went on to become, at least statistically, the best F1 driver ever before quitting in 2006.
Sutil welcomed the seven-time world champion's return to Formula One grid with Mercedes and felt it would be a great incentive for all other drivers to compete against, and possibly outrace, the German legend.
"Michael's return is a great news for motorsports, us and Michael himself," Sutil said during his interaction with journalists in New Delhi.
"He is a genius, a hero of motorsports we all admire. So it's nice to have him back. But at the same time, it's every driver's dream to beat him once and prove that they are better than him! He is a hero for me as well. But at the end of the day, you have to fight for your position and doesn't matter who's hero and who's driving. You want to be in the front, at any cost. How it happens, at whose cost, doesn't matter," said the lanky German, who scored his maiden points for Force India in the Italian Grand Prix where he came fourth.
Schumacher, a Ferrari advisor post-retirement, was tipped for a comeback last year as Felipe Massa's replacement but neck injuries came in the way.
Much to the delight of his fans, the 41-year-old German announced his comeback last month with Mercedes even though Formula One pundits are unsure if he would be able to reach the dizzy heights of his Ferrari days.
Sutil, meanwhile, warned fellow drivers not to underestimate Schumacher, saying the F1 veteran would not have staged a comeback if he had any self-doubts.
"I would say that he probably feels that he can be very competitive, otherwise he would not have done it," Sutil said.
"He is so professional and knows better than anyone what it takes to become the world champion. And he thinks for himself. If he had doubts that he probably cannot make it anymore, Michael would not have come out of retirement. He would have stayed out of Formula One. The guy is sure that he still fast enough," Sutil said.
"That is what I feel. I really feel that he can be a strong competitor again and he would do whatever it takes to be back in the front and lead every race. Formula One would be quite exciting this year, for sure," he added.
Source: Web Search
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