JOIN USIn a country that has learned to love Formula One mainly because of the success of Schumacher, his comeback generated headlines sprinkled with superlatives.
"The God of racing has come back. The legend will drive again," read Bild newspaper's headline, welcoming Schumacher back into Ferrari in the place of injured driver Felipe Massa.
The German, now 40 years old, retired from Formula One at the end of 2006 but is expected to make his comeback in Valencia, Spain, next month because Brazilian Massa sustained a fractured skull during last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Schumacher is adored by millions in Germany, his popularity at least on par with the likes of retired tennis player Steffi Graf and soccer great Franz Beckenbauer.
"Schumacher steps on the gas again," said the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper.
His brother Ralf, also a former Formula One driver said, his comeback could not have come at a better time, especially given the negative headlines surrounding Formula One in the past months.
"He was itching to come back. But no one expected that," Ralf Schumacher told a television channel.