» Schuey still creates fear in rivals

Despite a return to championship racing that has – by his standards – perhaps been below his expectations, rival drivers are in absolutely no doubt that Michael Schumacher has what it takes to make a successful comeback to F1 racing.

The seven-time World Champion was out-qualified for the third consecutive race by his Mercedes GP team-mate Nico Rosberg, and retired early in the Malaysian GP when a wheel nut departed company from his left-rear wheel.

Rosberg would go on to take the team’s first podium finish.

"I was pacing myself," Schumacher told the Sun newspaper, and when asked about his relative lack of performance he replied: "I am not a magician. I need more races."

Germany’s Bild is quoting him: "Personally, I am on schedule, but we are not where we want to be with the car. When I was World Champion, I always had the car to make me world champion.

"But we’re not so far away, as Nico has shown,” he added.

Despite the majority of the tabloid press tearing Schumacher to pieces – and they will of course adore him when he proves them wrong, being the fickle souls they are! – Lewis Hamilton has come out in defence of Michael’s form on-track so far.

"In a very short time he will be an extremely difficult opponent for all of us," Lewis said.

[Original image via GP Update]