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Ecclestone inspired by Schumacher return
12:45, Dec 24 2009
Bernie Ecclestone is predicting a "jaw-dropping season" for Formula One for 2010 after hailing the return of the "comeback kid."
After three years in retirement Michael Schumacher will again grace the sport after signing a £20million, three-year deal with Mercedes GP.
"It is fantastic for Formula One that he turned into a comeback kid," said Ecclestone. "All indications point to a jaw-dropping season. Fans will love it."
He added: "But at the same time it's good for Michael. When drivers have put in many years they sometimes lose focus and motivation - probably that was one of the reasons for his retirement in 2006.
"But now he has again put all his strength together and has a 100 per cent motivation level that will give us many exciting races in 2010.
"I always said Formula One is a strong brand. It has demonstrated time and again it can pull itself up by its own bootstraps."
Despite his time away from sport, and the fact he will turn 41 on January 3, Ecclestone has no doubt Schumacher can go on to add to his record seven world titles.
"Forget about winning races - I have him on my bill for winning the championship," exclaimed Ecclestone on the official F1 website. "He will be of immense value for the team to push the development of the car.
"We have all seen in the past he was never satisfied unless the car was in perfect condition. With his drive for the optimum and deep technical understanding he will save the team precious time.
"Nico Rosberg (Schumacher's team-mate) will be the one who will directly benefit from all this."
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