London: Bernie Ecclestone couldn't hide his glee sitting behind the desk of his Formula One headquarters in London.
He had just put the telephone down on the news that legend Michael Schumacher had confirmed his intention to make a comeback next season.
Now that seven-time champion Schumacher has signed with Mercedes, Ecclestone has his wish underpinned. "I am over the moon," said Ecclestone, "this is a fantastic move for us all ... for Michael to get back into the action he craves, for Ross Brawn, his team boss, and for fans around the globe."
Behind the scenes Ecclestone had been urging Schumacher, now 40, to make a return — but only if he and his medical advisors were 100 per cent certain he would be fit enough for the gruelling 19-race season.
"Michael is not silly," says Ecclestone," he wouldn't take the job on if he thought for a split second he was not fit enough to carry it through. His decision will be welcomed by everybody with an interest in F1 and I believe his return will help give us the most exciting Grand Prix season of all time. We've got Michael, the hero, the legend, the champion, back and there isn't a driver out there who won't want to chase him and beat him. That will make for some amazing racing.
"And what an inspiration it will be for his young teammate Nico Rosberg to have such a highly revered teammate.
"Aside from the thrill of Schumacher factor we have the last two champions, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton alongside each other, but in deadly rivalry, at McLaren. Now they have not only each other to beat, but the opportunity to get the better of a genius."
Ecclestone, the sport's commercial rights holder, told me: "I can see record crowds turning up all over the place ... he would not have stuck his neck out and taken a risk to his reputation."
The writer is a motor sport expert based in England
