He may have returned to the paddock in Barcelona, but Michael Schumacher's retirement as a driver has had a major impact on the TV ratings in Germany in 2007.

According to reports, F1's German free-to-air broadcaster RTL has recorded a nearly 25 per cent decline in viewing figures so far compared to last year.

Last year, 8 million Germans tuned in to the action at Circuit de Catalunya.  Last weekend, however, only 5.9m watched his Ferrari successor Felipe Massa soar to victory.

Reinforcing that Schumacher's absence is the missing piece, it emerges that 8.9m tuned-in to watch the 'Red Baron' in Barcelona in 2005, and nearly 9.5 million in 2004.

In total contrast, meanwhile, the Spanish struggle of local hero Fernando Alonso could not put a dent in the strong TV ratings coming out of his country.

A total of 6.03 million Spaniards watched the McLaren driver finish on the podium last Sunday -- 400,000 more than for his win in 2006.

The news coming out of Britain, meanwhile, is that the sensational start to Lewis Hamilton's McLaren career has led to a "massive increase" in ticket sales for the grand prix in July, according to Silverstone boss Richard Phillips.

Source: GMM