Did you guys miss Schumi?

When Michael Schumacher retired last year, I thought Formula One would never be the same again. I thought I would have to reconcile to watching Fernando Alonso win his third World Championship drivers’ title on the trot.

And let me be honest, I always had this suspicion, Kimi Raikkonen could never live up to the hype of being projected as the next Speed King. It was, perhaps, by sheer chance I watched a major part of qualifying at the Circuit de Catalunya on Saturday where Feranando Alonso clocked that stunning lap to park himself on pole.

To be honest, I was actually zapped that more than 1,00,000 spectators were there at qualifying to see those speed demons screech in Europe’s first Grand Prix of this season.

Nevertheless, when I actually prepared myself for Race Day, sitting in the office, my eyes were on Lewis Hamilton. My good friend Narain Karthikeyan had told me just last week what an exciting bundle of talent this Briton was. Karting champ in teens and then handpicked by Ron Dennis, I was keyed to watch Hamilton.

First things first, when I saw GOD on telly, it had my adrenaline rushing. If you still do not know who or what I am talking about let me spell it out: MICHAEL SCHUMACHER. Looking as fit as ever and with those headphones on, Schumi could have even told Jean Todt: “Let me have a go.”

Alas, within the first half of the race, when Schumi’s replacement Kimi (I did not give him that nomenclature) returned to the pit with a Bridgestone tyre ripped apart, it was all “live and happening” as TV commentators could have screamd.

And when I saw Alonso also struggling in front of his home crowd, I was convinced this F-1 season is going to be happening. Hey, come on, I juut was not missing Schumi, even though he was being shown on the screen now and then.

So what was the final script going to be, another Alonso win at home. No, it was Felippe Massa, the man who has raced under Schumi’s shadow take the chequered flag. And Hamilton was second.

So what? I am not one of those who loves to read too much of stats. But all the F-1 sites are saying Hamilton now leads the drivers’ points’ tally.

Mate, surely there could never have been anything better than this to happen on Race Day in the post-Schumi era?