Schumachers finest moments
Discussion
I am sure no one hated him for being German (apart from the odd bigot). There had been plenty of successful German racing drivers before him and there have been a few since (although none quite as successful). None generated the opprobrium he did.
It was down to his behaviour on track.
Sadly, no matter what good he did in the past or does in the future - the dark aspect of his motor racing career will forever be there. And it cannot be excluded from discussions about him.
It was down to his behaviour on track.
Sadly, no matter what good he did in the past or does in the future - the dark aspect of his motor racing career will forever be there. And it cannot be excluded from discussions about him.
Sorry, I'll be disagreeing with you here. Yes he was ruthless and pushed the boundaries. But he was also the most successful driver of our time, some would say of any time. You get nowhere being the nice guy. Senna was hardly a saint was he. Vettel (and his car) sailed pretty close to the wind.
Throughout motor racing history there have been some drivers who pushed the boundaries of what was "sporting" and what was not. In the 1950s Nino Farina was reckoned to go beyond what was acceptable on occasions.
In the 1980s Senna pushed the boundaries of acceptability even further. In the 1990s Schumacher went even further.
Since Schumacher retired "the first time" I would suggest that, on the whole, driver behaviour has been largely better - with just the odd incident now and then.
In the 1980s Senna pushed the boundaries of acceptability even further. In the 1990s Schumacher went even further.
Since Schumacher retired "the first time" I would suggest that, on the whole, driver behaviour has been largely better - with just the odd incident now and then.
Hungry 1998
Silverstone 1999
Magney Cours 2003<?>
China 2008
...many others
The way he murdered his team mates.
Work ethic
Fitness level
I remember reading an interview from a couple of years ago where he said that in the first period of F1 there was the possibility to find a second in the setup of the car. I think he was a perfectionist where he would spend hours and days testing and perfecting his car.
Silverstone 1999
Magney Cours 2003<?>
China 2008
...many others
The way he murdered his team mates.
Work ethic
Fitness level
I remember reading an interview from a couple of years ago where he said that in the first period of F1 there was the possibility to find a second in the setup of the car. I think he was a perfectionist where he would spend hours and days testing and perfecting his car.
frumpytrickle said:
Sorry, I'll be disagreeing with you here. Yes he was ruthless and pushed the boundaries. But he was also the most successful driver of our time, some would say of any time. You get nowhere being the nice guy. Senna was hardly a saint was he. Vettel (and his car) sailed pretty close to the wind.
That's absolutely true. Which is why it's not inappropriate to remember him trying to push Barrichello into the wall (etc) at the same time we remember the genuinely skillful racing (etc).Anything else is hagiography.
HereBeMonsters said:
My nomination would of course be his introduction to the Formula. Qualifying 7th in the 1991 Jordan at Spa, of all places. Surely an indication of the raw talent that would later be honed by Brawn and Briatore.
I remember that race too! He had never driven Spa before either.For the record, I never liked the man since he crashed into Hill, but you do not have to like someone in order to admire and have respect for their talent. I feel the same way about Richard Branson!
2006 Chinese GP, the only Bridgestone runner in the top ten as Michelin had vastly superior wets during quali.
Gaz. said:
I'd say some of his strongest drives were his early years at Benneton. People overlook that we had two full seasons of Schumacher vs Senna and when you see the Classic GP's you see some epic battles between them in 1992-1993. I cheated myself out of witnessing these events when they happened live because I was too wrapped up in Mansell Mania in 1992.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd04EsBP0t8 EskimoArapaho said:
That's absolutely true. Which is why it's not inappropriate to remember him trying to push Barrichello into the wall (etc) at the same time we remember the genuinely skillful racing (etc).
A great overtake and Rubens should have known better than to whine.His sheer personal fitness advantage in his early career allowed him and Braun to virtually invent the undercut. He could do qualifying pace during the race, lap after lap. I also remember Braun mentioning how much brain capacity he had left over while driving like this, so that he could have calm conversations with him about strategy.
Stuff we take for granted today.
Stuff we take for granted today.
Gaz. said:
mattikake said:
AndStilliRise said:
The way he murdered his average team mates.
Work ethic
Fitness level
Contract
EFA Work ethic
Fitness level
Contract
Fair call, but Piquet wasn't interested come his final season in 1991 and to those who know the sport, when Piquet wasn't up for it, he really wasn't up for it. And I seem to remember Rosberg fairing rather better than Schumi. It was the toughest fight he had in his whole career.
To me this is the most annoying legacy of Schumacher's reign, even more so than his misdemeanours. We never really got to know how good he really was in a fair fight. It's also the reason that F1's viewing figures declined for the first time ever in the history of the sport.
entropy said:
EskimoArapaho said:
That's absolutely true. Which is why it's not inappropriate to remember him trying to push Barrichello into the wall (etc) at the same time we remember the genuinely skillful racing (etc).
A great overtake and Rubens should have known better than to whine.
In terms of the outstanding moments, the ones that will stick with me, regardless on some of his on track antics:
Spa 1995.
Qualified 16th, came through the field to win.
Europe 1995.
Closed Alesi down from a 40 second lead to win.
Spain 1996.
Rainmaster, in a tractor of a Ferrari.
Spa 1996.
Drove like a man possessed, still in the tractor.
Monza 1996.
Ditto
Monaco 1997.
Rainmaster.
France 1997.
Rainmaster.
Spa 1997.
Rainmaster.
Hungary 1998.
Clever pit work and some outstanding, consistent qualifying laps to get ahead of Mika and co.
The standout ones IMO were the races in '96. The Ferrari was a complete dog of a car and what he did with it (similar to Alonso at the moment), is what stood out as being a driver extracting performance that just wasn't possible by another driver.
Spa 1995.
Qualified 16th, came through the field to win.
Europe 1995.
Closed Alesi down from a 40 second lead to win.
Spain 1996.
Rainmaster, in a tractor of a Ferrari.
Spa 1996.
Drove like a man possessed, still in the tractor.
Monza 1996.
Ditto
Monaco 1997.
Rainmaster.
France 1997.
Rainmaster.
Spa 1997.
Rainmaster.
Hungary 1998.
Clever pit work and some outstanding, consistent qualifying laps to get ahead of Mika and co.
The standout ones IMO were the races in '96. The Ferrari was a complete dog of a car and what he did with it (similar to Alonso at the moment), is what stood out as being a driver extracting performance that just wasn't possible by another driver.
fuelracer496 said:
In terms of the outstanding moments, the ones that will stick with me, regardless on some of his on track antics:
The standout ones IMO were the races in '96. The Ferrari was a complete dog of a car and what he did with it (similar to Alonso at the moment), is what stood out as being a driver extracting performance that just wasn't possible by another driver.
I remember those few years in the dog Ferraris. For many other drivers we say "he might win a WDC if he's in a good car." Even though Schu was in those poor Ferraris there was a certain inevitability about him winning another WDC (or even several more) that I've not seen in another driver since. It was not a matter of if, but when.The standout ones IMO were the races in '96. The Ferrari was a complete dog of a car and what he did with it (similar to Alonso at the moment), is what stood out as being a driver extracting performance that just wasn't possible by another driver.
EskimoArapaho said:
You are talking about Hungary 2010, right? Schumacher penalised 10 grid places for the following race. Every other driver condemning it. Perhaps your TV got a different feed?
Just putting it out there as such a great photo. 
An odd one from me but it was Spa 98 that sticks in the memory. Charging through the field he slams into the back of DC but then hardly seems to back off and just continues on racing as if nothing happened.
It's the fact that he hardly flinched or slowed that got me.
You could always count on Schumi to do something special in the race. There was never a time through his F1 days when I thought the guy is just crusing around or is not interested. There was always the commitment to finish.
On youtube watching him in GoKarts shows how he hangs the thing out there. The consistency is something else, he seems to corner with a way of balancing the car on its brake and throttle with little steering movement.
On youtube watching him in GoKarts shows how he hangs the thing out there. The consistency is something else, he seems to corner with a way of balancing the car on its brake and throttle with little steering movement.
I cannot remember the race , I think it was Germany or Hungary, deffo cannot remember the year. He was given an instruction from Ross Brawn to break the lap record for 7 laps or he didn't have a chance of winning, he then did this and won.
And there was the time at Monza (I think) when the tv coverage showed 4 consecutive laps at the same position the circuit in a quadrant on the screen. watching his hands do the same thing at the same time (adjusting brake balance IIRC) whilst braking from 200mph and then changing it again on the exit was amazing.
And there was the time at Monza (I think) when the tv coverage showed 4 consecutive laps at the same position the circuit in a quadrant on the screen. watching his hands do the same thing at the same time (adjusting brake balance IIRC) whilst braking from 200mph and then changing it again on the exit was amazing.
Agent Orange said:
EskimoArapaho said:
You are talking about Hungary 2010, right? Schumacher penalised 10 grid places for the following race. Every other driver condemning it. Perhaps your TV got a different feed?
Just putting it out there as such a great photo. An odd one from me but it was Spa 98 that sticks in the memory. Charging through the field he slams into the back of DC but then hardly seems to back off and just continues on racing as if nothing happened.
It's the fact that he hardly flinched or slowed that got me.
Agent Orange said:
Just putting it out there as such a great photo.
Spectacular, isn't it?The danger, heart in mouth, coming out the other in one piece. Isn't that why racing drivers/riders are hero worshipped?
Rubens should have known better and perhaps lacking racecraft. There's the one-move-rule: why not fake the inside and try to go round the outside?
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