Mansell: Schumacher can still spank F1’s young guns
Having just turned 41, Schumacher is the oldest driver on the 2010 grid by four years over record-breaking veteran Rubens Barrichello.
But having won his world championship just after his 39th birthday and raced in F1 until he was nearly 42, Mansell reckons age is no barrier to winning in F1.
"I don't think age will be a problem," Mansell told Autosport magazine. Don’t forget I was knocking on 40 when I won the world championship in 1992 and I would have been good for a few more years, it was just that the politics beat me up too much."
Mansell is confident that Schumacher's comeback will be a great success – largely because he will be reunited with Ross Brawn at Mercedes.
"He has been presented with a wonderful opportunity: he's back with Ross Brawn and with the team that has just won both the drivers' and constructors' championships," said Mansell. "If the package is right, there will be no problems with motivation. Ross is such a brilliant guy that I'm sure Michael will have one of the best cars. If things go a little wrong, there can be commitment issues, but I don't see that happening with Michael. He's in a win-win situation and it's good for Formula 1."