Triple World Champion Nika Lauda believes Michael Schumacher did the most possible on his return to Formula 1 in Bahrain. Having qualified seventh on the grid, the 7-time title winner raced to sixth in the desert.
Having retired from F1 after picking up two titles for Ferrari with in 1975 and 1977, Lauda himself made a return from retirement and collected a third championship win for McLaren in 1984.
"It was a perfect performance," the Austrian told the official F1 website of Mercedes driver Schumacher. "You can hardly start any better.
"He ran very little over the winter - due to test restrictions - and got into a modified car he had never driven before, so it was simply impossible for him to clock a qualification lap at the push of a button.
"I'd suppose he needs about three races to get back up to the same level he was at. When you take all that into account, he did a superb qualification lap, even compared to Nico (Rosberg, team-mate) who was only three tenths faster.
"My guess is that in Kuala Lumpur he will have regained that ability to switch on for a fast lap, which every permanent driver has to have."
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