How many races until Schumacher has/does one of his "stunts"

Actually I can remember a 4th time as he did it to Frentzen in Canada too, was it in 2001?

I'm now wondering what the actual count is?

So very true.

And then repeat for every other driver who has been investigated and or punished in F1 for "causing an avoidable incident" - you will get quite a few - it's just that they didn't necessarily become world champions.

Some fair points. Without getting massively into the whole Schum. debate, there have been some equally shocking moves made by drivers through the field over the years, any of which, in their own right would have tainted the sport (in the same way people view Schum.) had that driver been leader, or had they been a WDC.

My view (and just my view, not asking anyone to agree or convince them otherwise) is that we have a rose tinted view of the past years of racing - it's only in more recent years we have had 100% coverage that allows every move of every driver to be analysed. Who knows what we missed from "great" drivers of teh 50's, 60's and 70's before total coverage was available?

Interesting analogy re: McEnroe - hadn't thought of it like that before.

The Kubica move at the weekend is getting way to much air time - why? Vettel's move at Turkey went unpunished (which appeared to be intentional) and far worse than some wheel to wheel racing in Canada. We all moan at processional races don't we?

Seems MS can't win either way, damed if he does and damed if he doesn't.

Clarify who "we" is.

The driving was more considerate in the decades leading up to the 80s as cars were considerably more dangerous in an accident, circuits were almost designed to injure and maim and the marshalling was often hit or miss. Drivers didn't put one another into such situations as in any accident either car could come off worse. Nowadays accidents at 180 result in 'bruising'.

I saw an accident at Brands one time, in a saloon car race, where the driver was killed yet it was at around 50mph. And I was there when Herbert did his ankles in. Didn't see the accident, I was at paddock, but the driving was almost gentlemanly compared to modern day F1. Yet still someone's career almost ended.

Schumacher's move on Villeneuve, whilst much hyped, wasn't that dangerous. But one wonders if he would have pulled across in front of Hill if both had been in Lotus 49s.

Kubica's dive into the pits was at best reckless. Would he have risked the same in a Lotus 21?

I'm a 100% supporter of the modern safety features of F1 from the design of the cars to the health care. Indeed it is a shame they weren't brought in earlier when such things were first suggested to the FIA. But I have to say I think it has contributed to a falling off in driving standards. I remember Villeneuve being praised for his bravery when he piled it up at Eau Rouge. Yet in the days of the DFV, cars used to go through there on narrow tyres and on even narrower safety margins. If they lost it they often lost something else as well.

I remember Senna and Mansell playing chicken along the top straight at Brands the year they first installed a speed trap on the start/finish line. Mansell 'won' as everyone knew he would, but I bet he wouldn't have put his car into the slide had it been 20 years earlier. Or so completely trusted the brakes and tyres.

So I think that modern, let's be generous, robust driving is not something we can lay at the door of Schumacher, much as I would like to.

Totally agree. And I think the same thing applies to road driving standards.

(I often have mixed thoughts when drivers moan about the safety of certain circuits though. Surely it is within their power to minimise the risk, and making circuits more anodyne is contributing to the perceived dullness of the sport).

I'd say yes and no regarding road safety. IMO one of the problems with modern road driving is that with all the remoteness a modern car gives you from the road, it gives you a slightly false sense of invincibility and hence people drive like there is no consequence to their actions.
Sadly, there are still many people killed on public roads which people don't get a reality check to until it's too late.

^ You've got to be kidding surely?!

Must be a first. I've never seen someone try to defend Schumi over the obviousness of that incident.

All I will say is, Schumi deliberately turned into Villeneuve AFTER he got alongside [in an attempt to damage his car or take him out]. He was closely scrutinised by the stewards and the FIA, and DSQ'd from the WDC for this if you remember? No-one has been DSQ'd from a WDC for a move they pulled before. That's a measure of how bad it was.

I'll let the wolves do the rest.

Also, your bias is now extremely clear.