We are now into the second season of the world's most prestigious, glamorous and fastest of motor sports without the man who, above all others, dominated it with such conviction.

Michael Schumacher, seven times F1 world champion, retired from the sport at the end of the 2006 season after once again fighting for the championship in a typically tenacious and endlessly competitive manner which, over his 15-year career, earned him millions of fans and hundreds of trophies.

Yet it was this dominance - in particular during the years in which he consecutively won five championships with Ferrari from 2000 to 2004 - that caused many life-long fans, experts and those within the sport to label it boring and predictable. There was no one who could touch the German’s prancing horse in those five years. Never was this more abundantly clear than in 2002 when Schumacher finished on the podium in every single race and had the drivers' title wrapped up after just 11 races.

'Some argue that Schumacher's notorious thirst for victory and his controversial methods used to achieve that ultimate goal are what the sport now misses.'


After Fernando Alonso’s double world title triumph in 2005-6 the sport has enjoyed a new lease of life and has seen its reputation go some way to being restored as the pinnacle of motorsport, both more exciting and unpredictable.

This has further been the case after last year, which saw a dramatic title race amidst a flood of controversy. Several teams - most notably McLaren Mercedes - were accused of using data illegally obtained from their rivals.

However, it was on the track where the season really excelled. The arrival of new talent Lewis Hamilton and his much-publicised rift with new team-mate Alonso eclipsed all driver battles during the Schumacher years - with the possible exception of the German's ongoing spat with Damon Hill.

Hamilton stole Alonso’s headlines and almost the glory with a spellbinding debut season, missing out on a three-way battle for the drivers' title (eventually won by the naturally quickest driver Kimi Raikkonen) by a single point after the season went right to the final race.

A series of rule changes for this season - most notably the re-expulsion of traction control for the first time since 2001 - and the arrival of another street circuit and a night race indicate another exciting battle and, in Hamilton and Raikkonen, there is an intriguing rivalry developing.

It is unlikely that any of the current crop of drivers will enjoy a dominance similar to Schumacher’s and F1 will continue to be the better for it. Some argue that Schumacher’s notorious thirst for victory and his controversial methods used to achieve that ultimate goal are what the sport now misses.

Yes, 2007 saw an intense rivalry between Alonso and Hamilton and yes, at times it was bitter but it was thrilling and largely off the track with the theatrics left for the press conference not the tarmac.

Whether the sport needs such Schumacher-esque villainy is debatable, but it is undoubtedly a less colourful spectacle without the German.