OMG: Schumacher takes injured Massa’s seat for Spanish GP

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Did Schui throw the spring?

Look, I’m only slightly more than a casual fan, so I have no great insight into the news that seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher will come out of retirement to drive for Ferrari ace Felipe Massa, who was injured in Hungary when he was struck in the head by a spring that popped loose from one of the Brawn GP cars. But I do know that there are at least a dozen young F1-caliber drivers that could have taken Massa’s seat for the remainder of the season. Schumacher’s assertion that he is acting out of loyalty to the team -- while no doubt true -- cannot disguise the fact that he is desperate to drive an F1 car in competition again.

This is a common problem for great athletes -- Brett Favre, Lance Armstrong, Oscar de la Hoya, Muhammad Ali are just a few that come to mind. There is no substitute in retirement for elite professional sports. What, is Schui going to drive touring cars? I don’t think so.

In the case of Schumacher -- who I interviewed at length a few years ago -- the decision is more curious, because he has had such mixed feelings about being the object of worldwide motorsports adulation. He is a very private guy and the spotlight had just started to turn away from him in his role as Ferrari team advisor.

Could it be that somewhere in that deep, icy hoard of a chest, he misses the attention?

In any event, Schui’s return is a huge gift to the sport during its worst year in recent memory. F1 capo di tutti capi Bernie Ecclestone should give the guy a G5 or something.

And one more thing: Schui will win. You heard it here first.

-- Dan Neil