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F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Dare on April 16, 2012, 07:58:13 PM

Title: More Michael news
Post by: Dare on April 16, 2012, 07:58:13 PM
This is mainly for the Michael lovers here,Monty included




Michael Schumacher could be the next silver-clad driver who takes a Mercedes to the top step of the podium.

His teammate Nico Rosberg dominated the Shanghai weekend and, at his 111th attempt, finally broke through with a maiden pole and win.

The much-younger German also dominated Schumacher, the 43-year-old, at Mercedes in the last two years -- ever since the seven time world champion returned to Formula One in 2010.

But former Benetton and Ferrari title winner Schumacher appears much more on Rosberg's pace this season, and in fact even solidly outqualified his 26-year-old teammate in Australia and Malaysia.

"It's simple," Schumacher told Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo.

"The way I can drive this car is much more how I have driven a car throughout my whole life.

"If you look at my driving today and compare with ten years ago, not much has changed," said the famous German. "But if you look at 2010 and 2011, my arms never stopped working.

"It wasn't my way to drive," insisted Schumacher.

Having followed Rosberg early in the Chinese Grand Prix - before his retirement - Schumacher admitted that he could not quite match the leading pace.

But, despite not standing on a podium even once since his F1 comeback, he has now smelled that a victory is close.

"It will be the same feeling as when I went to the podium for the first time with Benetton, and Ferrari," Schumacher predicted.

"When I started with those teams, we were far away from being able to think about it. But after a lot of work, I would say years - just as now with Mercedes - we had reached the stage of being able to fight.

"Most people have no idea how many things need to be changed, how much effort and investment is required. At 43 I'm going through all of this again, but it's because I really love what I do."

Schumacher's Mercedes contract expires at the end of this year.

"You might not believe it," he responded, "but I'm so focused on developing this car that I don't think about it.

"Later on in the season, of course, it's inevitable.

"Of course it gives me great pleasure that we are starting to see the results of this great work. I am still perfectly capable of winning in Formula One," Schumacher insisted.
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Scott on April 16, 2012, 08:54:08 PM
Heck, I had him for the win in China!
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: cosworth151 on April 16, 2012, 09:15:42 PM
So did I. That wheel guy owes us both big time, Scott!
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: F1fanaticBD on April 17, 2012, 04:56:05 AM
That guy was a Nico's best friend, and was desperate to stop MS.. Otherwise MS would have nailed him... >:D >:D cost all of the GG people big time... :tease: :tease:
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: David on April 17, 2012, 07:56:56 PM
I for one would love to see Michael on the top step one more time at least.  :good:

Could this could be the year.  :DntKnw:
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Ian on April 17, 2012, 08:04:03 PM
I'm convinced he'll be on the podium this year David, like yourself I'm praying it'll be the top step.  :yahoo:
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on April 18, 2012, 03:21:07 AM
Nah!
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Dare on April 18, 2012, 03:47:06 AM
Nah!


yes-em
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: John S on April 18, 2012, 11:26:51 AM
Nah!

I fear you may be right Lonny, Nico getting his first win will have laid some ghosts so to speak and he will have an extra couple of tenths on Schumi just from the confidence boost. If Nico can win again soon, with Schumi finishing in that race, then he is likely to become unstoppable against Michael.

I have always thought that Nico did not have a win in him, :fool: that I am, - well now that's over with he will just grow.

A first win, however it is acheived, gives drivers a boost in confidence and self belief that cannot be acheived any other way. I'm sure we all remember Mika being gifted his first win, by his own and the Williams team, at the end of the 97 season. - look what happened at the first two races of the next season, and then throughout the season.  :swoon:





 
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Ian on April 18, 2012, 12:17:22 PM
Nah John and Lonny.  :P  :tease:
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: F1fanaticBD on April 18, 2012, 05:17:07 PM
I am with you Ian  :good: :good: :good:

I want MS to get his tally more than staggering 91...
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Dare on April 18, 2012, 09:55:26 PM
But if after Nico winning has his confidence inflated not
if but when Michael wins he'll think,how can this old man
beat me?

                             and

Michael has 2 things going for him,years of experience and the
biggest thing,Brawn is his ol buddy
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: John S on April 18, 2012, 10:02:33 PM
I am with you Ian  :good: :good: :good:

I want MS to get his tally more than staggering 91...

Sure I want Schumi to get more wins too, I just think it's got a lot harder for him with Nico standing on the top step at last.  ;)



Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on April 19, 2012, 12:51:15 AM
Post China, MS said he could not match Nico's pace in the early laps.  :DntKnw:
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: F1fanaticBD on April 19, 2012, 10:19:19 AM
I agree, Lonny, but it does not mean MS could not have gained in the second or third stint after tire changes.. As the possibilities were endless, so speculations will never end..

But If the trend of performance is somewhat like this, I believe in a given Mercedes day, MS will outpace Nico in Monza, Spa, Suzuka might clinch one or more.. But I have every reason to believe as well he will be knocked out of these races, before he could be anywhere near the winners place.. But I have seen in last two years, he have out-qualified Nico in this old- his favorite places..so lets see what could MS deliver...
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: stealthhaggis on April 19, 2012, 10:49:27 AM
He would never have won in China as he was already dropping back into the chasing pack prior to his first stop and was well behind Nico. Nico has the edge on him atm with the win. Now there is no excuse for Michael as it's clearly a winning car so he needs to get a win soon or he may as well call it a day.
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Monty on April 23, 2012, 01:05:47 PM
It will come as a great surprise to the GP Wizard regulars that I am not a Schumacher fan.

He was a good driver but then his ego got too big for F1. I do not blame him completely, a lot of this was Ferrari's fault. They made the car to his specific requirements, they held back excellent team drivers making them a clear number 2 in support of Michael, engineering information flowed from the number two driver to Schumacher but never the other way, they used Ferrari clout to make sure decisions went Schumacher's way and in the end he seemed to think he had some devine right to push people off the track, block people, basically cheat without fear of retribution. Then his skills faded enough that he couldn't win even with the dice loaded in his favour so he retired. Many true enthusiasts celebrated but perhaps too soon because he came back.
Now he is getting Mercedes to build the car around his needs, he is trying to push Rosberg into a subservient number 2 position and he has already shown that he is prepared to risk killing people to make sure they do not pass.
All of this is fact. How can any of you still want him to win???????  :fool:
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Ian on April 23, 2012, 01:12:10 PM
Of course I still want him to win again monty, to think otherwise would be hypocritical of me, he was'nt the first to push another car out of the way and he won't be the last, did I imagine Rosberg doing the same on Sunday or was I dreaming.  :P
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: John S on April 23, 2012, 06:16:21 PM
Of course I still want him to win again monty, to think otherwise would be hypocritical of me, he was'nt the first to push another car out of the way and he won't be the last, did I imagine Rosberg doing the same on Sunday or was I dreaming.  :P

Sorry Ian, you and me both were dreaming  ;)  - the stewards say so.  :D

   
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: F1fanaticBD on April 23, 2012, 09:45:25 PM
Yes I will be wanting him to be a winner, and if he have to all those things monty said, I still want him to do those and win, and as Senna said "If you do not go for the gap that exist, you are no longer a racing driver".. and that gap means every possible gap you can find..

Every driver that becomes a winner requires certain mixtures of lack, team, car and ability to win.. And if Monty thinks that doing all those things he mentioned have got him 91 wins, in this case statistics will let us listen the silent truth..he is one of greatest driver of all time..
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on April 24, 2012, 01:45:55 AM
My opinion of MS is pretty well known around here, I think his record was inflated by his situation, which to his credit he helped to create. In terms of talent or skill, I would not rate him in the top 10, in terms of hard work, maximizing his situation, doing whatever it takes to win, he is number 1. There are a number of drivers who, in the same situation, could have produced the same result.
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: John S on April 24, 2012, 08:26:06 AM
Yes I will be wanting him to be a winner, and if he have to all those things monty said, I still want him to do those and win, and as Senna said "If you do not go for the gap that exist, you are no longer a racing driver".. and that gap means every possible gap you can find..


I think you'll find that quote was used by Senna to justify taking Prost out at the first corner in Japan to ensure he won the WDC. There are gaps and then again there is the space down the inside which means the braking has to be assisted by coming together with the other car.  :P
Real racing drivers want to get by and leave their competitors running to continue the fight, or accept they are beaten by the other driver. Like Kimi and Vettel at the last race.

 

Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: F1fanaticBD on April 24, 2012, 01:04:04 PM
Vettel cannot even pass a back-marker, and uses every bit of his ability to get that driver penalized, though people will argue that back-marker was hardly responsible for the incident.

The real racing driver you are referring are probably lives in the world of fantasy, the people whom we watch at times acts like the way you said, but in many times when they are fighting machine, along with other people and winning defines the differences between heaven and hell..it is very much normal to act like selfish, they are not sitting in front of a computer, with hardly any stress..

They are what they are, and the that adamentness makes them the fastest among this planet..

So Go MS go...
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on April 25, 2012, 03:08:48 AM
Back in the 60's if someone drove overly aggressively, hitting other cars or running people off the track, a tough SOB like Black Jack Brabham would take the offender out behind the garages and explain the etiquette of driving to him. Physically if necessary. I think the safety of modern F1 has made the drivers more aggressive. Back in the day, going off track was all too frequently fatal.
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Cam on April 25, 2012, 09:10:54 AM
It will come as a great surprise to the GP Wizard regulars that I am not a Schumacher fan.

He was a good driver but then his ego got too big for F1. I do not blame him completely, a lot of this was Ferrari's fault. They made the car to his specific requirements, they held back excellent team drivers making them a clear number 2 in support of Michael, engineering information flowed from the number two driver to Schumacher but never the other way, they used Ferrari clout to make sure decisions went Schumacher's way and in the end he seemed to think he had some devine right to push people off the track, block people, basically cheat without fear of retribution. Then his skills faded enough that he couldn't win even with the dice loaded in his favour so he retired. Many true enthusiasts celebrated but perhaps too soon because he came back.
Now he is getting Mercedes to build the car around his needs, he is trying to push Rosberg into a subservient number 2 position and he has already shown that he is prepared to risk killing people to make sure they do not pass.
All of this is fact. How can any of you still want him to win???????  :fool:

I can't a single fact in any of that  :DntKnw:

Except for the fact you're not a fan perhaps
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: stealthhaggis on April 26, 2012, 11:08:46 AM
Maybe the colour of the language he is using is a little strong but he is correct in what he says. He did win a title by using a move which, when he used it 3 years later, was deemed to be punishable. He did make himself no 1 at Ferrari and even Benetton before that. A point of fact which every driver to work alongside him has testified to. He has cheated and been punished, although that was near the end when Alonso was on the rise, and a cynic might say that there was a new King in town whose nation Bernie needed to coax viewing figures and money out of. When Irvine had the chance to become Ferraris first Champion since 79 and was their 'no1' because of Shcumachers crash at Silverstone, he stated he would not help him or play second fiddle to Irvine. Later he changed his mind about that, at least publicly. Only he was allowed to race, unless he was out of the race which was rare for him, only his team mate seemed to ever have mechanical issues, funny that. When he had the chance to go out gracefully he failed as he kept coming back and hanging around the circuit as Ferraris poster boy. If he, as he now admits, did not want to retire he should have bought himself out of his contract and went racing with another team but then no other team would give him the same treatment, no other top team that is. He is nowhere near the great driver he is made out to be, frankly he had the best car and a car that was designed solely around him. Until recently he has never had a team-mate of real quality, and I don't think Nico is of real quality yet. Near the end of his first stint even Massa could beat him, now he struggles to get the better of a young whipper-snapper who has only just won his first race. He is not like Fangio, Stewart, Clarke, Moss, even Prost, Senna, Mansell or Hakkinen. He never raced in a top team where it was fair game for either driver to win. He is a good driver, he was excellent at team building and making sure he had them around his, his stats make him great but not his ability.

That said even I was pleased to see him do well at Montreal last year, Not sure if I could be bothered with his smug face if he graces the top step but I've got sky plus, I can fast forward it so won't be that bothered. There's a new breed of drivers who will be around long after him who I actually enjoy watching. They'll win more than he will and  1 win or even 2 won't be a big deal.

I actually feel better after that! :DD
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: F1fanaticBD on April 26, 2012, 08:24:11 PM
It is said, Alain Prost was fast, and he played the political game better than anybody else. On the other hand, Senna brought intensity to the point beyond the word maximum, I guess in Schumacher we might be able to see both traits. People I am not saying that Schumacher is equal to Prost and Senna combined, I am saying what Schumacher brought in the sports. Yes he played his shots, he tried to cheat, he crashed, he made other people a mere sidekick, yes he did all those, and in many of occasions came out with the advantage on his side. He is a commercial success, he reached out to people, and he did produce a spectacular show that attracted new faces in the formula one.

Ability of a driver is a subjective issue, and to assess upto certain extent we invented the scoring system, but when people starts to go beyond this numbers, its a undefined, unknown territory where the comparison became subjective and opinion remains as the only and only way to settle things, and it never settles down.

I wonder, whether he will ever win, because though it seems Mercedes is improving, I guess Schumacher has landed himself to the opposite side of the luck, so if any accident, incident, engine failure, gearbox failure, hydraulic problem, electric problem, tangled with back marker, t-boned by a fellow racer all of this will happen to him.. and I don't think it will improve anytime soon, therefore, no matter how much I and Ian wish to be on the top of the podium, in the end its very unlikely...

Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Ian on April 26, 2012, 08:35:25 PM
Have faith F1fan, have faith, may the force be with him.  ;)
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on April 27, 2012, 04:13:49 AM
As stealth said he is a team builder. Honestly, hasn't Ferrari gone pretty steadily down hill since he retired? Slowly at first, but more quickly lately. Now they say they must completely reorganize the team. I have always said he is the best test driver around, but that talent is pretty useless under current conditions. The combination of MS, Todt, Brawn, Fiorano, and Ferrari was magic, but it was truly a whole that exceeded the sum of it's parts.
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: F1fanaticBD on April 27, 2012, 07:43:15 AM
Yeah it was magic, and it required almost 4 years of work before they could get their hands on any kind of title..

It was interesting the fact that, when Micheal won in Monza, 2000 he equaled Ayrton to 41 wins, and by the time he retired in 2006 he had the tally increased to 91, team, strategies, monopolization what ever you say, that is an astonishing feat..

Ferrari started to decline when Todt left, and when Brawn and MS left, the misery started, bad strategical judgement, lack of focus, lack of knowledge to interpret the limits of F1 regulation, lack of innovation, with disarrayed developmental works, and this ultimately pushed Ferrari to a midfield team, and if it wasn't for Alonso, who took those drive that Ferrari like a pit-bull and take those odd victories..

Being a Ferrari fan, its a shame to say that my beloved team has been relegated to the midfield, where they are racing with Sauber for points and not RBR/Mclaren for championship..

Yes it must be restructured, it must have a focus and determination and innovation as well to remain as one of the illustrious teams of F1, if not the most.
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: stealthhaggis on April 27, 2012, 11:52:22 AM
Put Perez in the car next to Alonso and watch the team start to push forwards. Perez will push Alonso and as such the car will improve at a faster rate. Having 2 drivers capable of getting results will help Ferrari get back to winning ways. They are not that far away really.
Title: Re: More Michael news
Post by: Scott on April 27, 2012, 02:14:09 PM
I hope they've gone back to the drawing board.  They promised a 'new' car in Bahrain, and what did we get?  Same car with Sauber's rear end.  Ferrari seem to be in serious panic mode and are literally scrambling to get a car together that has a chance against the top three (seems funny to say that these days without it including Ferrari). 

I wonder if Alonso doesn't have an escape clause in his contract that if Ferrari can't give him a car that can win within 2 yrs he can go looking for a new seat.  It could be possible that RBR might be contacting him soon instead of Ferrari calling up anyone.
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