Should Michael Schumacher throw in the towel?
Discussion
Michael is still in the field this year, however after his dismal display last year, should Schumacher even be driving? To me personally I feel that Schumacher is just doing it for fun, like carting, the trouble with this is he is taking a seat up were a younger more talented driver could be. In my mind, if Schumacher does not get a podium in the first 4 races, then for me, he should quit the sport. This will also prove the only thing Schumacher had was not talent, just a good car under him.
Harsh, perhaps.
Schumacher is over 40 years old in a sport where drivers these days peak around their early-30s, and he's been out of F1 for three years. It really shouldn't come as a surprise that he struggled against Nico Rosberg, nor should that taint his extraordinary achievement in F1.
IMHO, he shouldn't have even tried to make a come-back, and I'd prefer if he just quit and let younger folks have their turn at the wheel.
Schumacher is over 40 years old in a sport where drivers these days peak around their early-30s, and he's been out of F1 for three years. It really shouldn't come as a surprise that he struggled against Nico Rosberg, nor should that taint his extraordinary achievement in F1.
IMHO, he shouldn't have even tried to make a come-back, and I'd prefer if he just quit and let younger folks have their turn at the wheel.
The same could be said for Nico then - surely using identical equipment as schumi, he too should be in the top 3?
I'm in no way a schumi fan - far, far from it.
However, I'm willing to give him the season to either match or, be within a reasonable point different to nico.
Example being Hamilton in '09. We know he is a good driver (despite your personal opinion of him.) However, the car failed to secure them decent finishes in the first half of that season.
Let's see what type of car mercedes bring to the table first, then compare his performance with Nico.
I'm in no way a schumi fan - far, far from it.
However, I'm willing to give him the season to either match or, be within a reasonable point different to nico.
Example being Hamilton in '09. We know he is a good driver (despite your personal opinion of him.) However, the car failed to secure them decent finishes in the first half of that season.
Let's see what type of car mercedes bring to the table first, then compare his performance with Nico.
Michael passed his peak a long time ago and he knows it, it's just his massive ego that is stopping him from stepping down. I just hope he will come to his senses and retire at some point this season before he injures himself or another driver in one of his special overtaking moves..
bernies said:
Michael passed his peak a long time ago and he knows it, it's just his massive ego that is stopping him from stepping down. I just hope he will come to his senses and retire at some point this season before he injures himself or another driver in one of his special overtaking moves..
In saying that though, did you not find Canada exciting last year?He is the best pantomime-esq baddi of all time!
Along with tyre degradation at a ridiculous rate, with hamilton and alonso fighting in the pits - we had schumi literally going wheel-to-wheel and bumper-to-bumper with anyone who stood in his way.
Obviously excluding his "incident" with barrichello at hungary. That was plain crazy and stupid.
I've grown to like him now he's left ferrari.
I never could rate Schumacher because he never had a team mate to rate against. To me he never raced against a top driver of his era. Hill/Clark, Mansell/piquet, Senna/Prost.
Making his comeback against Rosberg to me shows this up.
I'm not saying he wasn't fast but how do you rate him when he didn't race another top driver in the same car?
Making his comeback against Rosberg to me shows this up.
I'm not saying he wasn't fast but how do you rate him when he didn't race another top driver in the same car?
mically said:
Example being Hamilton in '09. We know he is a good driver (despite your personal opinion of him.) However, the car failed to secure them decent finishes in the first half of that season.
That's a very good point, one that I too agree with. It's clear that Schumacher is passed his prime - but I also believe that he has not been able to deliever his full potential in last years car. It must be both frustrating and difficult if you have to drive a car that doesn't quite suit your style.I still think Schumacher can be very competitive in the right car and the right conditions (just like any driver could be). I'd certainly want to see how much he could close the gap if things were going a bit his way. No matter how disappointing his qualifying performances in 2010 have been, he did have his fair share of bad luck. In the races he did finish, he rarely went backwards and always had brilliant starts.
I'm excited of seeing him in 2011, hopefully in a season no less exciting than last (and hopefully less to do with the cars this time).
PS: Mically: Have you been receiving my emails? We've been having some difficulties since christmas so I'm a bit unsure. Thanks!
Schumacher came to the Mercedes team very late for last season if I remember correctly, the car wouldn't have been designed with his very distinctive driving style in mind. If they give him a decent car I reckon we could see a return to form this season. If things aren't at least looking good by mid-season though he probably should step aside.
Phil-CH said:
mically said:
Example being Hamilton in '09. We know he is a good driver (despite your personal opinion of him.) However, the car failed to secure them decent finishes in the first half of that season.
That's a very good point, one that I too agree with. It's clear that Schumacher is passed his prime - but I also believe that he has not been able to deliever his full potential in last years car. It must be both frustrating and difficult if you have to drive a car that doesn't quite suit your style.I still think Schumacher can be very competitive in the right car and the right conditions (just like any driver could be). I'd certainly want to see how much he could close the gap if things were going a bit his way. No matter how disappointing his qualifying performances in 2010 have been, he did have his fair share of bad luck. In the races he did finish, he rarely went backwards and always had brilliant starts.
I'm excited of seeing him in 2011, hopefully in a season no less exciting than last (and hopefully less to do with the cars this time).
PS: Mically: Have you been receiving my emails? We've been having some difficulties since christmas so I'm a bit unsure. Thanks!
But now he is competing against a superior grid in a lesser car. He's beating the other newcomers (both teams and drivers.) Which isn't down solely to the car.Just look at kovalainen in '08 and '09; compare him to hamilton.
Even if hamilton had prime status within McLaren, kovalainen should not have been that far away with the points.
Phil, I'll have a look through them now. Don't recall seeing one since before christmas - but, I am flooding the job market with my CV so it may have been mistaken for an automated response
Moobs said:
Think of the times when he finished runner up in Ferrari. He out performed the car he was in. Or was Couthard actually worser than he was rated back then.
In my opinion - the last great rival to Schumacher was Hakkinen. Once Hakkinen left, Schumi was left without any serious competitors until the arrival of Alonso in his then mighty Renault.
1998 and 1999 was Hakkninen.
2005 and 2006 was Alonso.
1994 he won by a point (and by knocking his only competitor off the track - Damon Hill.)
Which only leaves 1995 and 2001 where he won the championship with decent competitors and without controversy.
Edited by mically on Thursday 6th January 13:43
he didn't have the sort of testing before 2010 that he would in the past pre season and came into it all quite cold, he did have a few good races but also some shockers
By the end of this year i think we'll see the real picture of where he is, if the performances are similar to 2010 then yes he should bow out in my opinion
By the end of this year i think we'll see the real picture of where he is, if the performances are similar to 2010 then yes he should bow out in my opinion
Have never warmed to the bloke. Always thought his skill, whilst profound, was influenced by other factors more than any driver, coupled at a time when Ferrari were leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. I remain convinced that you could have put any number of drivers in the car and they would have had similar levels of success.
He conveyed an arrogance that I just didn't like.
Strange thing is though, over the course of last season, I grew to quite like him. Don't know why, perhaps it's because he is normal after all and does screw up. He seems a more rounded person rather than some automon driver.
He conveyed an arrogance that I just didn't like.
Strange thing is though, over the course of last season, I grew to quite like him. Don't know why, perhaps it's because he is normal after all and does screw up. He seems a more rounded person rather than some automon driver.
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