Mercedes are back. The Silver Arrows will be lining up on the grid in Bahrain and Michael Schumacher is driving. What else could make this season more exciting? Yes, there’s an all British team, the return of Felipe Massa, and Fernando Alonso being in a competitive car again, but these pale in significance to the return of the greatest Formula One driver in history.

The seven-time World Drivers’ Champion has given in to the temptation to put on his racing gloves once more, and will spearhead the team that won everything under the name Brawn GP last year. Each one of the German’s seven titles were won with Ross Brawn working with him and their partnership is the most intriguing sub-plot to the entire season. Can they possibly make it eight titles together? We’ll have to wait and see.

But Schumacher is not the only exciting driver at Mercedes this season. Nico Rosberg finally gets his hands on a competitive car, and will get the chance to turn promise into reality. Rosberg scored 34.5 points for Williams last year while his team-mate, Kazuki Nakajima, failed to pick up a single point. With a good car he has every chance of picking up his first victory this season.

The all-German driver line up, Nick Heidfeld is the reserve, in a German car, means it will be Britain vs Germany, with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton driving for the British team, McLaren.

The appointment of Schumacher has been criticised by some due to the fears his neck will restrict him, and that his heart will not be in it as much as it used to be. Schumacher has also claimed that the Mercedes car will not be able to win the first few races. But this is a year in F1 where nobody quite knows what to expect. How will the tyres cope with the extra-heavy load? What strategies should be used? How will the drivers take corners with such a heavier car? Surely Mercedes have the best set-up for each of these problems?

Michael Schumacher is probably the most adaptable driver in history. This is a man who qualified seventh at Spa in ‘91, a few days after driving an F1 car for the first time. This is the man who awoke the sleeping-giant of Ferrari. He will know how to get the best out of his new car.

And Ross Brawn is one of the finest tacticians in the paddock. His spells at Benetton and Ferrari bought great success, and transformed what was the underachieving Honda team into the successful Brawn GP outfit. Very few engineers will be able to outsmart Brawn on the track.

Let’s not forget Rosberg, either. He gets to challenge himself against the most famous man in his country, a true icon of the sporting world. If this doesn’t motivate him towards a terrific campaign, nothing will. He has the ability to beat Schumacher and he would love to show it.

As for their history at Bahrain, Rosberg has managed a seventh-place finish in 2007, in a poor car, while Schumacher won the first ever Grand Prix at the circuit. They both know the track and they have a terrific team behind them. They may not have the pace to win in Bahrain, but it would take a brave person to bet against one of them ending up on the podium on Sunday afternoon.