A decade, so sad
Discussion
oyster said:
I think, as F1 fans, we’ve missed out on a lot of insight that we might have got from his input had he been in and out of the paddock the last 10 years.
He had a great sense of humour too. Very different out of the cockpit.
Totally agreed. He was a revelation to his in car persona once we were allowed to get to know him. He had a great sense of humour too. Very different out of the cockpit.
The TG moment of him taking off the Stig helmet was one of my all time favourites.
I grew up watching him, my favourite, it happened the day before my 25th birthday as well so I woke up to the news on my birthday.
Like the post above, we have missed out on a lot, I suspect he would of been involved in either Ferrari or Mercedes some more, suspect Mick's career would of lasted quite a lot longer with him around and despite him being very private. I reckon we would of got some really good interviews/series from him by now.
Thanks for the memories.
Like the post above, we have missed out on a lot, I suspect he would of been involved in either Ferrari or Mercedes some more, suspect Mick's career would of lasted quite a lot longer with him around and despite him being very private. I reckon we would of got some really good interviews/series from him by now.
Thanks for the memories.
Eric Mc said:
Never my favourite driver.
Sad what happened to him and apparently a very nice guy - outside the cockpit. In a car, he was a ruthless, unsporting thug.
He’s not the only one though Eric, quite a few top drivers display those characteristics, but for me the Damon Hill ‘accident’ was one of the lowest moments in sport. Sad what happened to him and apparently a very nice guy - outside the cockpit. In a car, he was a ruthless, unsporting thug.
Eric Mc said:
Never my favourite driver.
Sad what happened to him and apparently a very nice guy - outside the cockpit. In a car, he was a ruthless, unsporting thug.
As with the current world champion, a very difficult man to like for his behaviour in the car, even if he was undoubtedly a huge talent and with a whole team built around him. The incidents with Hill and Villeneuve particularly stand out. Sad what happened to him and apparently a very nice guy - outside the cockpit. In a car, he was a ruthless, unsporting thug.
It would have been good to hear his insights over the past decade though, he would almost certainly have turned up to see his son race, and perhaps done some occasional media work for the likes of Sky.
As with Ayrton a man very much missed for his input into the sport that would have been after his retirement from F1, Lord only knows what he would have been doing.
I expect not as much as people think, I think he devoted himself completely for so long his family time was now when he stopped, but I am sure somewhere he would have tired of it and had a dabble in something now and then. I feel sure for instance Mick would have a far better career where Michael around.
I expect not as much as people think, I think he devoted himself completely for so long his family time was now when he stopped, but I am sure somewhere he would have tired of it and had a dabble in something now and then. I feel sure for instance Mick would have a far better career where Michael around.
Eric Mc said:
Never my favourite driver.
Sad what happened to him and apparently a very nice guy - outside the cockpit. In a car, he was a ruthless, unsporting thug.
I think this is just another example of how he was a generation ahead of his time - as the sport has become more professional, drivers can't even get into it without a "win any any cost" sort of attitude. I'm not saying I like it, but it has arguably happened in every high-end professional sport as they have transitioned from "sport" to "business". Ultimately it's down to the governing body of the sport in question to make and enforce rules to keep the participants in line. Sad what happened to him and apparently a very nice guy - outside the cockpit. In a car, he was a ruthless, unsporting thug.
As for his accident, it's obviously tragic for his family but things just as bad happen to many thousands of people every day and don't even make the local news let alone international headlines; I don't see any more reason to feel bad about Schumacher than any of the others.
kambites said:
As for his accident, it's obviously tragic for his family but things just as bad happen to many thousands of people every day and don't even make the local news let alone international headlines; I don't see any more reason to feel bad about Schumacher than any of the others.
This is true, but he was/is a global sports star, I see headlines these days like " Z list celebrities sisters dogs uncle has died" how does that make the news?the-norseman said:
kambites said:
As for his accident, it's obviously tragic for his family but things just as bad happen to many thousands of people every day and don't even make the local news let alone international headlines; I don't see any more reason to feel bad about Schumacher than any of the others.
This is true, but he was/is a global sports star, I see headlines these days like " Z list celebrities sisters dogs uncle has died" how does that make the news?
Eric Mc said:
Sad what happened to him and apparently a very nice guy - outside the cockpit. In a car, he was a ruthless, unsporting thug.
+1In addition, the benefits he enjoyed at Benetton and Ferrari - including, but not limited to, undisputed number one status with a contractual clause for his team mate to move over for him, further taint his achievements somewhat for me.
Team orders are a part of the sport, but to have such an advantage engineered in and used so indiscriminately (Austria 2002 for example) was as sour as it was unnecessary for a man of his undeniable talent.
There are a lot of bad aspects of his on track career, for sure. He was a ruthless son of a gun, more so than perhaps anyone before him, even Senna who reserved most of his nastiness for Prost not necessarily anyone else. MS was like it with anyone and everyone.
I have no issue in him manipulating a team to his whim, it is not as if Herbert, Irvine, Lehto or Jos were anything like as quick, it became a bigger thing in his time, but he was no way the first to do it. And you have to also blame Briatore and Todt et al for allowing it, it backfired on them a few times but mostly it was the right way.
But for plusses he was the fastest man in F1 for a considerable time, he was worth watching most of the time, even in his dominant years as even that recently you could still see why a man like this made the difference, you cannot anymore, not as easily.
And for that he is worth the downsides, not necessarily if you are judging a complete driver, but certainly one of those generational drivers like Fangio, Clark, Stewart, Lauda and Prost that change the way the sport is taken part in for good.
I have no issue in him manipulating a team to his whim, it is not as if Herbert, Irvine, Lehto or Jos were anything like as quick, it became a bigger thing in his time, but he was no way the first to do it. And you have to also blame Briatore and Todt et al for allowing it, it backfired on them a few times but mostly it was the right way.
But for plusses he was the fastest man in F1 for a considerable time, he was worth watching most of the time, even in his dominant years as even that recently you could still see why a man like this made the difference, you cannot anymore, not as easily.
And for that he is worth the downsides, not necessarily if you are judging a complete driver, but certainly one of those generational drivers like Fangio, Clark, Stewart, Lauda and Prost that change the way the sport is taken part in for good.
For me, he is the absolute greatest. Changed the F1 game in terms of hard work and dedication (and ruthlessness). I don’t like him any less for that style.
By all accounts he was a nice guy out the cockpit, good family man and also very generous to his causes.
Not going to argue about things, but ‘thug’ is over doing things some what.
I can actually look past the Hill incident, it was a stupid move up the inside for Hill. The other controversial ones are less easy to argue about.
As for preferential treatment, he was the absolute No.1. No point arguing about it being unfair on the likes of Massa or Barrichello, they simply couldn’t have sustained a challenge. They had their odd good day, but wouldn’t stand a chance of challenging Schumacher all year. They are very much the Perez to Verstappen this year. I liked Irvine, he openly said Schumacher was different level, knew his brief and did a good job. Schumacher did a lot to help Irvine in the year he broke his leg and was in it for the team. The team play in Japan to help Irvine was great.
Ferrari was playing ‘total war’ also. The model was all in on Schumacher and there would be no compromise on that plan. That did manifest itself unnecessarily and messily at Austria though.
I’m sad firstly for the whole Schumacher family and the situation and that such an achiever and talent is taken out by a ski accident after a risky career. And then sad we missed other ways he could have been in F1 or even other events like Le Mans.
I hope there is some degree of mobility and communication at home. I understand the privacy but wish there was one definitive statement on the situation just so fans could understand.
By all accounts he was a nice guy out the cockpit, good family man and also very generous to his causes.
Not going to argue about things, but ‘thug’ is over doing things some what.
I can actually look past the Hill incident, it was a stupid move up the inside for Hill. The other controversial ones are less easy to argue about.
As for preferential treatment, he was the absolute No.1. No point arguing about it being unfair on the likes of Massa or Barrichello, they simply couldn’t have sustained a challenge. They had their odd good day, but wouldn’t stand a chance of challenging Schumacher all year. They are very much the Perez to Verstappen this year. I liked Irvine, he openly said Schumacher was different level, knew his brief and did a good job. Schumacher did a lot to help Irvine in the year he broke his leg and was in it for the team. The team play in Japan to help Irvine was great.
Ferrari was playing ‘total war’ also. The model was all in on Schumacher and there would be no compromise on that plan. That did manifest itself unnecessarily and messily at Austria though.
I’m sad firstly for the whole Schumacher family and the situation and that such an achiever and talent is taken out by a ski accident after a risky career. And then sad we missed other ways he could have been in F1 or even other events like Le Mans.
I hope there is some degree of mobility and communication at home. I understand the privacy but wish there was one definitive statement on the situation just so fans could understand.
flatlandsman said:
I have no issue in him manipulating a team to his whim, it is not as if Herbert, Irvine, Lehto or Jos were anything like as quick, it became a bigger thing in his time, but he was no way the first to do it.
Herbert outqualified Schumacher once and from then on, his data was shared with MS and there was no quid pro quo. Herbert was very fast, even with his problems following his F2 accident at Brands.I was never a fan of his, but I feel sorry for him in his present situation.
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