Luca Badoer: The Ressurection

The world of Formula 1 is currently deflated after the anti-climatic and somewhat premature end to the expected Michael Schumacher return. The German’s neck injury sustained in a motor cycling accent earlier in the year sadly proved too much to overcome.

But for one person the German’s misfortunes have become his mixed blessings. Very few will remember the name Luca Badoer; he is not a race winner. However his name is soon to be forged back onto the time sheets some ten years after his last competitive appearance as he has now been named as Felipe Massa’s official replacement.

He holds the crushing title of being statistically the most unsuccessful driver to have graced the sport. This is due to his lack of points in a combined total of races higher than any other non point’s scorer. Fifty six Grand Prix’s without a single scoring finish is considered a disaster.

This can be seen as an unjust and unfair representation of the Italian’s talents however as any driver who competes for two seasons in a Minardi and one season in the doomed Forte team has about as much chance of scoring a podium or points finish as a two legged horse has of finishing anywhere other than last in the Grand National. Simply he relied on a combination of retirements, luck and impossible out-performance of his car to achieve anything worthy of note.

Yet many will remember the one occasion where he came closest to breaking this unwelcome title. His emotional breakdown after his retirement from fourth place in the dramatic European Grand Prix of 1999 highlighted the destruction that such a promising event could cause to such an invested driver. We truly felt for Luca.

Until the unlikely return next month came into fruition it looked as though that his gearbox failure in the aforementioned Grand Prix had halted his last chance of a profitable return in the sport he so vehemently admires.

From a pessimistic point of view, although the Italian has been seated in the vastly improved 2009 Ferrari, his age and inexperience with points scoring finishes may hinder his prospects of finally achieving a celebrated finish.

Yet with such a predicted Tifosi following the thirty eight year old Italian veteran in an Italian team may become capable of producing a standout performance or two before the probable rush release of Felipe Massa back into the Ferrari cockpit.

Luca Badoer is everything that encompasses an underdog, and this will garner him much attention and optimism. He has only ever driven for the weakest teams in the sport and during that time his inability to catapult himself towards the front of the pack credited him with an unremarkable history.

Can you always judge a driver for such a misfortune? It is not necessarily his fault after all that the teams he drove for could produce little in the way of a fast and reliable car.

Nobody expects a point’s finish from the Italian when the street circuit of Valencia hosts his comeback Grand Prix. The hope is there that in some shape or form throughout the remainder of the season he will reap positive benefits from his unexpected return to the sport.

If there was to be a miserable return instead then it would just act as to extend his dire record in the sport so far.

The sight of seeing the aging Italian gaining the odd points or even podium finish, may provide however one of the greatest spectacles within such a ferocious season where the form book has been thrown out of the window. We have seen this season that anything and everything can happen. So is there yet another twist still to behold.

It is unsure as of now how many Grand Prix’s the Italian will be given to prove his critics wrong. Obviously he will be wishing for a drive in his home Grand Prix when the season heads to Monza next month.

Ferrari may be looking for alternatives if Luca’s return provides a vision of embarrassment. It is ultimately all in the hands of the unlucky driver himself. A recreation of his tearful farewell to the European Grand Prix of 1999 is possible. It’s just a question whether it will be tears of joy or extended disappointment.