Feature: Simple Question is Key to Any Comeback

There is one fundamental question that any Formula One team boss should ask himself when approached by a former World Champion looking to hit the comeback trail.

Why did he stop?

Retaining the speed is only a part of the equation. The driver also needs the hunger, the sheer single-minded determination to succeed.

It is something that Frank Williams may have pondered over the last few weeks, with both Jacques Villeneuve and Mika Hakkinen linked to his team as Williams seek a replacement for Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and possibly Ralf Schumacher as well.

Canadian Villeneuve, the 1997 champion with Williams, is expected to test some time over the European summer, even if his old team have confirmed nothing so far.

Despite Hakkinen saying he is not interested in making a comeback, with former McLaren teammates also pouring cold water on the suggestion, there are still those who insist that at least a test is on the cards for the 1998 and 1999 champion.

There are precedents for comebacks - champions Niki Lauda, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost (fired by Ferrari and taking a year out as a commentator) all did it, with Lauda and Prost winning titles again. It all comes down to motivation in the end.

"If you understand the reason why they've stopped, you then can say 'well, has anything changed?'," said McLaren's Ron Dennis, the team boss who knows Hakkinen better than any other, at last weekend's European Grand Prix.

Insular Individual

"When you go out of motor racing and you build a relationship with your family, you see them every day and you see your kids grow up - I would imagine it's very difficult to then say right, I'm now going to go testing endlessly to race meetings and everything," said Dennis.

"I really struggle to see how someone gets their mind round it," he added. "With someone like Jacques I would think it's easier to come back than for someone like Mika. Jacques is quite an insular individual and I can see him finding it easier."

Hakkinen, 35, is married, with a young son and was pretty clear about his reasons for stopping in 2001.

"The decision was more about the time I want to spend with the family, to see Hugo growing up and spend time with my wife," said the Finn. "Also I didn't want to hurt myself...I thought it's not worth it any more to push your luck further."

It is hard to see what might have changed there, even if Ferrari's Michael Schumacher manages to combine being a devoted family man with winning race after race. Villeneuve is different. Unmarried and childless, he stopped last year because BAR replaced him with Japan's Takuma Sato and nobody else had a job for him.

By all accounts the 33-year-old wants back in. His absence is still felt, particularly with a double-header in Canada and the United States coming up on June 13 and 20. Headstrong, contrary and refreshingly blunt - Villeneuve would love to be the man who dethrones Ferrari's Michael Schumacher.

"I think he is due to test and I think he will test for Williams and it will be interesting to see how well he goes," said Dennis. "Do they all have the speed, the commitment, the ability to get in the car and go quick?," he added of both former champions.

"I think probably everybody does but that's only a very small part of being a Grand Prix driver. It requires continuous commitment to the process and it is always to the detriment of your private life."

Lauda's Verdict

Austrian Lauda, who quit Brabham aged 30 in 1979 to run his own airline before coming back in 1982 with McLaren to win the 1984 Championship, was single-minded enough. While Lauda was racing, that was all that mattered. When he moved into business, he adopted the same obsessional approach.

The Austrian believes Villeneuve, a maverick if ever there was one, also has what it takes but only a test will show whether he is still fast enough.

"Nobody knows how quick Jacques is," said Lauda. "If I were Williams I would give him a proper test run for three days and then evaluate him. It all depends on his attitude and how motivated he is. It all depends on how hard your head is to come back.

"But nevertheless you still have to check your speed...when you are two years out of the business or one year, you don't know how quick the other guys are compared to yourself."