Schumacher - the chosen one
Discussion
whats that supposed to mean?At least he had to WORK for it this year rather than Barrichello doing the work for him as last year.
I didn't want him to win it again (I personally don't like his manner) because domination makes boring watching, but at least this season has been a modern classic...Kimi and monty gave him a good run for his money and that can only be a good sign for 2004...
I didn't want him to win it again (I personally don't like his manner) because domination makes boring watching, but at least this season has been a modern classic...Kimi and monty gave him a good run for his money and that can only be a good sign for 2004...
I can respect Michael Schumacher but, to be honest, I can't like him. Yes, he wins a lot of races and has clinched his sixth championship, but he does have one of the best cars (imagine if he was suddenly signed by Jordan - would he win as much?). But I just don't find him very enthralling to watch and he's not doing the sport any favours, as he gets in front, picks up a big lead, the cameras follow him and all the uninitiated can see is a solitary red car being driven robotically round a track.
I find Montoya, Alonso, Raikkonen et al more fun to watch - they're always close, overtake a lot, and you're more interested in who comes second, once MS is in the lead.
IMO, the sport will become thrilling when he retires. There will be a power vacuum in which the young hopefuls will battle it out and the teams will suddenly become more even.
I find Montoya, Alonso, Raikkonen et al more fun to watch - they're always close, overtake a lot, and you're more interested in who comes second, once MS is in the lead.
IMO, the sport will become thrilling when he retires. There will be a power vacuum in which the young hopefuls will battle it out and the teams will suddenly become more even.
Personally I like Schumi, always have done, as Eric rightly pointed out, his English has picked up a considerable amount and seems to be much more relaxed in front of the cameras instead of edgy.
Fact of the matter is, he IS exceptionally talented and the fact that he has 6 World Championships under his belt proves that.
Best driver out there IMO, not the most entertaining to watch, but they're there to race and in my eyes if you're the fastest guy out there then I'd keep at that pace in case anything untoward happens and you have to make an unscheduled pit stop.
If he does get a big lead I think the way around that would be not to film him as much, let him get on with it and concentrate on the battles lower in the ranks.
What would the public's reaction be if it were David Coulthard out in front all the time? I can't see us complaining, everyone seems to have a massive bee in their bonnet about MS and will jump at the first opportunity to bash him.
Well done to MS anyway
Graham
>> Edited by Graham.J on Sunday 12th October 12:56
Fact of the matter is, he IS exceptionally talented and the fact that he has 6 World Championships under his belt proves that.
Best driver out there IMO, not the most entertaining to watch, but they're there to race and in my eyes if you're the fastest guy out there then I'd keep at that pace in case anything untoward happens and you have to make an unscheduled pit stop.
If he does get a big lead I think the way around that would be not to film him as much, let him get on with it and concentrate on the battles lower in the ranks.
What would the public's reaction be if it were David Coulthard out in front all the time? I can't see us complaining, everyone seems to have a massive bee in their bonnet about MS and will jump at the first opportunity to bash him.
Well done to MS anyway
Graham
>> Edited by Graham.J on Sunday 12th October 12:56
I can appreciate any race car driver with skill. As far as "liking him" or not - I don't know him. What I mean by that is it is very unfair to base your opinion of somebody on what they say/do on the telly for 15 to 20 minutes worth of interview time.
If I ever meet him, then I will decide whether or not I "like him". Otherwise, I shall just appreciate the fact that he is an excellent driver. I feel the sam about JPM.
As they say on the street in the US:
"The boy's got skillz.."
ErnestM
If I ever meet him, then I will decide whether or not I "like him". Otherwise, I shall just appreciate the fact that he is an excellent driver. I feel the sam about JPM.
As they say on the street in the US:
"The boy's got skillz.."
ErnestM
Having met and spoken to Michael on many occasions between '96 and 2002 I 'd say that the real change in him came after the Silverstone accident in '99 He certainly lost alot of his arrogance and was prepared to let his emotions show through more.
He is the consumate professional in so many ways and whilst him winning again is very boring you have to say he is still the best.
Next year should be an absolute cracker though!!
He is the consumate professional in so many ways and whilst him winning again is very boring you have to say he is still the best.
Next year should be an absolute cracker though!!
ErnestM, thats the way I look at it as well. I remember Jeremy Clarkson interviewing him for his Speed show and he seemed a decent enough chap.
He is a fantastic driver, and if you put him in a Jordan, I dare say Jordan's winning ability might increase - if he can't help advance the car, the team he would take with him would.
Again, I think the main problem with Schumacher isn't Schumacher, but Ferrari. Ferrari seem to have the FIA around their thumb getting away with things that they really shouldn't and getting other things banned that shouldn't have been. The tyre problem a week or so back was actually handled very tackfully by Ferrari which is a surprise!
He is a fantastic driver, and if you put him in a Jordan, I dare say Jordan's winning ability might increase - if he can't help advance the car, the team he would take with him would.
Again, I think the main problem with Schumacher isn't Schumacher, but Ferrari. Ferrari seem to have the FIA around their thumb getting away with things that they really shouldn't and getting other things banned that shouldn't have been. The tyre problem a week or so back was actually handled very tackfully by Ferrari which is a surprise!
levensnevel said:
Those overalls Kimi and David wore during the press conference looked quite funny. Made Kimi even more robotic.
Yeah just why on earth are they allowed to do that? To me it appears that they are simply turning KR & DC into billboards at the press conferences... Makes it all look a bit daft if you ask me.
Still all in a good & interesting race and unlike last year I'm once again looking forward to next year!
v8thunder said:
I can respect Michael Schumacher but, to be honest, I can't like him. Yes, he wins a lot of races and has clinched his sixth championship, but he does have one of the best cars (imagine if he was suddenly signed by Jordan - would he win as much?). But I just don't find him very enthralling to watch and he's not doing the sport any favours, as he gets in front, picks up a big lead, the cameras follow him and all the uninitiated can see is a solitary red car being driven robotically round a track.
I find Montoya, Alonso, Raikkonen et al more fun to watch - they're always close, overtake a lot, and you're more interested in who comes second, once MS is in the lead.
IMO, the sport will become thrilling when he retires. There will be a power vacuum in which the young hopefuls will battle it out and the teams will suddenly become more even.
Ferrari was crap when he joined them. Alesi won once in Canada and Berger won once or twice but that was it.
Be good if MS, Brawn and the desisners joined Jordan tho
I'm sure if we had been watching F1 back in 1963 and 1965 we might have complained about Jim Clark racing off into the distance - as he often did. Or if we had watched GPs in 1950 and 1951 we would have whinged about the absolute total dominance of the Alfa Romeo team - they won every GP they entered in those years.
People have to remember that when MS joined Ferrari in 1996 they were far from being the best team. MS together with Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne, Jean Todt and Luca De Montezemolo (sp?) have dragged Ferrari to its current position. MS could have chosen an easier option and gone to Williams or McLaren back in 1996. Instead, he took it on himself to rescue Ferrari. If he had moved to McLaren in 1996, as many thought he might, I reckon we might be looking at 7 or 8 times World Champion by now.
People have to remember that when MS joined Ferrari in 1996 they were far from being the best team. MS together with Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne, Jean Todt and Luca De Montezemolo (sp?) have dragged Ferrari to its current position. MS could have chosen an easier option and gone to Williams or McLaren back in 1996. Instead, he took it on himself to rescue Ferrari. If he had moved to McLaren in 1996, as many thought he might, I reckon we might be looking at 7 or 8 times World Champion by now.
They´re all driving round with Schumacher and ferrari flags hanging off their cars beeping their horns. Six titles, very impressive....however, can't help but feel the "team order" antics over the years devalue the achievement somewhat. How many races has Schumacher "won" due to Barichello/Irvine etc developing "brake problems" or just simply getting out of the way 100 yards from the finish? Leaves a bitter taste. That goes for all of F1, not just Ferrari, they just seem to have done it either more often or more openly, and it makes a mockery of the sport.
Mrs Fish said:
I actually like Schumacher, why do so many people hate him?
Typical British mentallity (sp) I'm afraid Lisa, people can't bear anybody to do well for themselves!!! Instead of congratulating and saying well done they have to try and knock them down.
Of all the people here who say they hate him, how many have actually met him???
There is a general motorsport forum here that could do with a few more threads and posters 
It languishes at the bottom of the forum lists.
Just a thought.
www.ferrari.it.
>> Edited by condor on Sunday 12th October 15:30
It languishes at the bottom of the forum lists.
Just a thought.
www.ferrari.it.
>> Edited by condor on Sunday 12th October 15:30
Hear hear.
Few of us have met him, so we can't say whether or not we 'like' him, as if it mattered. I admire his talent (and his bank balance). And he wins championships because he's the best driver overall - he turned an uncompetitive Benetton into a race winner in '94 IIRC, so it's hard to argue with that conclusion, I'd have thought.
Good luck to him.
Few of us have met him, so we can't say whether or not we 'like' him, as if it mattered. I admire his talent (and his bank balance
). And he wins championships because he's the best driver overall - he turned an uncompetitive Benetton into a race winner in '94 IIRC, so it's hard to argue with that conclusion, I'd have thought. Good luck to him.
You have to admire MS even if you think you don't like him. I agree with many of the things said on this thread about the Ferrari/FIA thing and do not think that it is fair but the season is over now, hopefully Ferrari will have a slightly smaller budget next year and so the other teams will be able to make some gains.
Also watching MS after the race doing a press interview, when did you last hear an English International footballer speak as well?
Like him or not the guy is an awesome talent.
D.
Also watching MS after the race doing a press interview, when did you last hear an English International footballer speak as well?
Like him or not the guy is an awesome talent.
D.
I wonder what these postings would be saying if Michael Schumacher were Mike Shoemaker and came from England, or Willie McCobbler from Scotland?
If we had a home grown driver who won six world championships (because he was the best driver of his generation) I suspect we would be trumpetting his achievements with bucket loads of patriotic fervour.
I was just as upset with Schumacher when he took Damon off in Australia (also I hate to be pedantic, Mon Ami Mate, but the Damon Hill incident was in 1994 - I'm surprised at you), but he has mellowed as he has matured and his grasp of idioms in English has grown.
We should just recognise that he is the best of his era and has beaten all the challengers ranged against him - it's not his fault if, in the opinion of some, there were more competitive drivers in earlier times. This view that he has not had much to beat is, by the way, hugely insulting to Damon Hill and Mika Hakkinen in particular.
If we had a home grown driver who won six world championships (because he was the best driver of his generation) I suspect we would be trumpetting his achievements with bucket loads of patriotic fervour.
I was just as upset with Schumacher when he took Damon off in Australia (also I hate to be pedantic, Mon Ami Mate, but the Damon Hill incident was in 1994 - I'm surprised at you), but he has mellowed as he has matured and his grasp of idioms in English has grown.
We should just recognise that he is the best of his era and has beaten all the challengers ranged against him - it's not his fault if, in the opinion of some, there were more competitive drivers in earlier times. This view that he has not had much to beat is, by the way, hugely insulting to Damon Hill and Mika Hakkinen in particular.
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