Clock Does Not Stop Even for Schumacher

Michael Schumacher

The big joy has gone right now," said Michael Schumacher in the wake of a wretched Turkish Grand Prix in which he finished a miserable 12th, leaving him with just six points to his name after four races.

"I guess I was responsible myself to have the result that I had. With Petrov I guess it was mostly my mistake what happened there. I need to analyse it. It was a bit strange that suddenly we got together and I lost my front wing. The race was a given from there – lots of fighting, lots of action, but for nothing."

It is an indicator that the seven-times world champion could now start to question whether he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level of motorsport.

The statistics make significant reading because in 23 races since he was tempted out of retirement, Schumacher has undeniably been second best to team-mate Nico Rosberg.

This year Schumacher has been out-qualified by Rosberg in all four grands prix, and beaten by his younger German compatriot in the last two, and 15 overall.

Around Istanbul Park, Schumacher was not dominant and at times bullied out of the way, initially on lap two when Renault's Vitaly Petrov dived down the inside at turn 12, only to run over the 42-year-old's front wing.

An early pit stop compromised Schumacher's race in which another German, Adrian Sutil, later barged his way through at turn 12 again.

The aura has gone, leaving former Formula One rival and BBC co-commentator David Coulthard to suggest Schumacher may start to be questioning his future.

"He's not performing at the same level of his team-mate, that's a fact," said Coulthard. "The statistics show Nico is getting more out of that car than Michael.

"I don't think we should write Michael off by any stretch of the imagination, there's a lot of talent there, but he must be asking himself questions. I think the key thing is he's not enjoying it, and to be perfectly open and honest with you there was an element of that for me at the beginning of 2008.

"I wasn't as competitive as I felt I should be, I wasn't enjoying the races as much as I used to, and then that's the moment.

"It slowly builds until you look in the mirror and realise that feeling you've been having for a few weeks or months is the internal message. You can't hold back the clock."