Ever since Patrick Head admitted that he would not be surprised to see McLaren make a bid for the services of seven-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher, the prospect of the German returning to F1 has been the talk of message boards, forums and within the industry.

To add to the speculation, just days after Head's most recent comment, Ferrari revealed that the German was to take part in a two-day test at Barcelona, though the Italian outfit stressed that this was partly for fun.

When Schumacher topped the timesheets for two consecutive days, and Ferrari subsequently revealed that he was to take part in this week's test at Jerez, the speculation mounted.

Speaking to members of the British media in London yesterday, Lewis Hamilton said he welcomed the possible return of the German, appearing to throw down the gauntlet with a familiar rallying cry: "Bring it on!" he said.

"I was disappointed when Schumacher left F1 as it meant I never got the chance to race against him," he continued, according to The Guardian. "He was a phenomenal driver.

"When I joined, Fernando Alonso was the champion and I beat him in a few races," he added, referring to his former teammate. "That was a great feeling but I'm sure beating Schumacher would be even better. I would love to race against him, it would be a great challenge and a great test for any driver."

Fact is, Schumacher has nothing to gain by returning to F1, and a whole lot to lose.