Michael Schumacher back on two wheels

Briefly, anyway...

FORMULA 1 legend Michael Schumacher returned to the saddle for a one-off promotional event at the Paul Ricard circuit near Marseille last Friday.

In the quite extraordinary (and presumably slightly surreal) showcase, organized by Monster Energy and the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, he took to the track alongside 19-time Isle of Man TT winner John McGuiness, legendary American GP racer Randy Mamola, part-time endurance racer (and more notably, Prodigy frontman) Keith Flint and young Moto2 prospect Pol Espargaró.

Schumacher rode a Ducati Panigale.

Seven-time F1 World Champion Schumacher is no stranger to motorcycle racing - he actually rode a Ducati in the IDM Superbike championship (the German national championship) in 2008. 

On Friday, he said: 'Coming here I felt so proud to be able to turn my hand at riding a bike with guys I really admire. I can’t begin to explain how much fun it was to ride the track with the likes of John, Randy, Keith and watching Pol Espargaró’s huge talent.'

John McGuinness said: 'Riding with Michael was so good. What he’s achieved on four wheels makes him the Godfather of motorsport.

'I wasn’t expecting him to be anything less, but he’s fast! You can see his enthusiasm for motorcycles and it was a massive pleasure to spend the day with him.'

Could we see Schumacher back on a bike in the future?