Michael Schumacher has apologised to Rubens Barrichello for his driving during the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. The seven-time champion was given a ten-place grid penalty for the Belgian GP after squeezing Barrichello against the pitwall on the main straight as the Brazilian tried to pass him during yesterday's race. The move angered Barrichello, who was critical of Schumacher's driving. Schumacher said after the race that he did not feel he had done anything wrong. However, on Monday the Mercedes driver said he agreed with the stewards' decision and apologised to Barrichello if the Brazilian felt his driving was dangerous. "Yesterday, right after the race I was still in the heat of the action, but after I watched the incident with Rubens again, I must say that the stewards were right with their assessment: the move against him was too hard," Schumacher wrote on his website. "I wanted to make it hard for him to pass me. I clearly showed him that I didn't want to let him pass but... I wasn't seeking to endanger him with my move. If he feels I was then I'm sorry, this wasn't my intention." There. I hope it will certainly cool things off for everyone on the board..
These people never do: Senna was the same ... Try to win at all cost... or in the case of Schumacher, try to finish ... 10th !!!! Truly pathetic ... Certainly not the mark of a champion.
Wasted words from the formerly great driver MS. He meant what he said in the reports yesterday. His disdain for Rubens was well on display. Im a fan. He needs to hang it up. I missed him for about as long as I missed Kimi. No one is is larger than the sport. Life goes on without Schumi. One day he will get that.
The fact that the apology is posted on Schumacher's website and not as part of an official interview is a good indication as to how serious it is; not very. Schumacher's post race, "This is F-1, I thought I gave him too much room because he got past me" is really how he feels about putting his and Barrichello's lives on the line for a tenth place finish This is simply designed to defuse the situation during the long layoff up to Spa. Look for a major charm offensive from Schumacher and M-B leading up to Belgium. RM
Every race, he proves that his decision to retire in 2006 was the right one. This whole apology smacks of a PR smooth-over. His return is atrocious. Only in the news for the shenanigans he pulls, I wish he had not come back, and I hope he comes to his senses and finishes the season out quietly and then retires for good. No animosity toward him personally, but the driving is ridiculous.
After all the abuse MS has taken from RB in the press over the years, while all the time staying above it, I think this was a wonderful move on MS's part, as long as it didn't endanger RB's physical welfare. Hopefully Mercedes can get their cars sorted out next year and RB can get back to a steady diet of MS's exhaust fumes.
good job Schumachers X-ray vision was working so he knew there wasn't a car coming out of the pit lane that he was pushing RB into!.
The only occassions Schumacher was driving fair were those when he had the best car by far and there was no real need for unfair tactics. All other occasions (e.g. versus Hill in Australia 1994, versus Villeneuve 1996, Monaco 2006) he was playing hardball and ruthlessly egoistic. For me the behaviour of a sportman in hard times speaks more of his character than that of one in easy times. Schumacher fails big time once more......
I was always a little uncomfortable about some of Schumi's tactics. I just rationalized it a bit, though. Prost did similar things to Senna, and Senna did them to Prost. I always thought the intentional collisions were nothing but poor sportsmanship, as opposed to "passionate competition." Now that I look back on Schumi's career, and I am constantly forced to since he is prominently in the media for things such as this, and the farcical driving he put in at Montreal, I have had to revise the opinion I formerly held of him. I do not think he is the greatest driver of all time (numbers don't tell the whole story); in fact I do not regard him as a great driver at all. He could set up a car extremely well, and he was a savvy guy in the pits, politics, and personnel management, but as far as I'm concerned, you cannot be considered a "great" when you are an *********. I'd trade Schumi's WC titles for the racing we saw in the 1980s, when Ferrari didn't win championships.
I agree entirely. Someone said:" It's not what you win that matters, but how you win it". In the case of Schumacher, many of his wins were due to favoritism at Ferrari, a superior car, team orders or dirty tactics. Very few of his victories were the result of a fair fight. His contemporaries still talk about the atrocious - and often dangerous - moves he made not only against Hill, Villeneuve, but many others including brother Ralf. Racing commentators and former drivers, from Jackie Stewart to Stirling Moss, or from Mika Hakkinen to Nikki Lauda have condemned Shumi's dubious tactics. He certainly made few friends among his peers. That left Schumacher far from the great sportsman he should be after 7 world titles. Compared to Fangio or Clark, even Brabham, his legagy is poor and he certainly never achieved the status of a role model.
Well reading the posts and points of view, as I posted somewhere else on here, MS has certainly not done himself any favours with his lastest track action, still it remains to be seen to me at least, if his come back has been a mistake.
I think it was Martin Whitmarsh or someone out of the Mclaren camp, in a dig at team orders at Ferrari, maybe wrong though.
For MS to come back in an inferior car; to dedicate himself to making the car and the team better and to have the restraint to keep talking about the season, his team and his effort, I commend him. The guy is a 7 times champion and could be excused for calling out the team for its ineffectiveness. I think he is driving because he wants to, not because he has to. He offered an apology, after cooling down. What more do you want?
No, the quote is much older than that. It was even already repeated in 1958 by Stirling Moss when Hawthorn won the WDC by one point. Moss had won 4 GPs that years, against Hawthorn only one. On top of that, Moss testified in favour of Hawthorn in front of a disciplinary panel that wanted to disqualify his rival for an infringement to the rules. Moss prefered to 'loose' the WDC than win it on appeal. True sportmanship, I say ...
A racer of his caliber should drive better. It would be better if he didn't have to apologise for his atrocious tactics.
I have always loved Schumacher - but this really bothered me. RB could have been hurt, or worse. I wish I hadn't seen it happen.
The history books don't show how you won your titles though, they merely record how many titles you won. Ferrari have won 16 World Championships using team orders (allegedly - where applicable) McLaren have won 8 World Championships without using Team orders (allegedly). Which one does the history books say is the more successful team?. Do any of the Championships get discredited due to the tactics used to win them?. Does history show that Ayrton Senna didn't win the 1990 WDC due to ramming Alain Prost off the track in Suzuka?. No, it records that he was a three time WDC and makes no mention of tactics used. Putting principles before the chance to win a World Championship in F1?, as Dirty Harry once said: "Thats a hell of a price to pay for being stylish!"
But those who know about GP history or follow F1 closely know the value of a title. At least one of Fangio's title came (1956) from the generosity of his team mate Peter Collins. Twice that season Collins gave his car to Fangio. Mike Hawthorn got his 1958 WDC title thanks to Moss who testified in his favour. Moss won 4 GPs that year, Hawthorn only one. Phill Hill 1961 WDC came about after the death at Monza of team mate Von Trips who was leading the championship. Graham Hill owed his 1962 WDC thanks to Clark's engine failure in the last GP, in sight of the flag whilst he was leading the title. John Surtess won his title at Mexico 1964 when team mate Bandini eliminated his only rival Graham Hill who was still in contention for the title, by raming his car! Schekter won his title thanks to team orders slowing down Gilles Villeneuve. Mario Andretti's title is tainted by team orders at Lotus forbidding Ronnie Peterson to attack him. Etc, etc... So not all WDC titles hold the same value. There is much more to motor racing that stats and list of WDC winners. Besides the rules and the point scoring system have changed over the years.
