Actually not a bad idea. Show us your F1 fan gear. Rotkaeppchen and all. ...gee, I would even have to dig out my MS replica suit. LOL
I think Lauda was gone 3 years, just like MS...although he won the title 5 years after his initial retirement. Correct me if I'm wrong though
+1. I also cannot understand why many don't get this. Nobody is even the same person they were 5 years ago ... you change as you age simple as that. MS's greatest attribute as a driver used to be his adaptability. This has gone, end of story. Pete ps: the comment about MS being useless in the Mercedes sportscar is incorrect. He was young and too fast at the beginning and yes used to wear cars out, but his codriver (name escapes me at the moment) was much older and wiser and taught him how to be fast and not to kill the car. Eventually he mastered this and the rest is history ... now what a pity LH had never listened to those more experienced like MS did ... sigh.
I remember reading an interview with MS, he mentioned that he did well at the 1995(?) Spanish GP when his car was stuck in 5th gear was all due to his experience in sportscars. Sportscar, according to MS, teaches you to adapt to changing situations in racing.
Indeed. The MS of 15 years ago simply changed his approach and drove around a problem. The MS of today has lost that ability.
Maybe, just maybe, MS thought this would all be magic: that he would get into the car, and he would be as fast as ever, and the chassis, engine, tires, aero would all be as fast as ever, and that simply isn't the case? Maybe he underestimated all that has been 'lost' in time?
Probably. I also think he expected more of what Haug and Brawn could do. The 2009 car had probably something to do with optimistic expectations
He is absolutely fast....I don't know what keeps going wrong or why, but it's not his (single lap) speed.
When you are wrong, puzzles are solved pieces appear to have a place. As you age that puzzle becomes harder to solve. MS is great but its managing the puzzle pieces that is now out of his reach. He is just not what he was due to age. I think there is very little mystery to this. What he was is deeply ingrained in people's minds. So many times we dont see what is before us. Same with MS.
bahh. He signed for 3 years, not 1. I love you man, but I have to read everything you write knowing it's coming from someone who loathes MS which makes it a bit difficult to believe it to be non-biased and completely objective. Sort of the antithesis to me I guess. There are good contentions made by both sides. You complete me? What's everyone going to say if he wins a race or podiums with a great race or something? The return of the king or some crap? I mean really people. The media flip-flop and hype is amazing.
I hope he podiums and turns his season around but I never believed Nico would have trouble outscoring him when his return was announced. My fear is he might drive over his head to attain a modicum of success, never a good thing.
I agree with you Is, but I never had the faith you have had in Nico, I mean good look's alone don't win races.. So respect is due gal.
+1 He is totally capable of winning a race, and getting a podium or two, but it seems some of the folks here EXPECT him to win AND podium consistently - ala Vettel, Webber and Hamilton. When MS does that these folks will be happy, but I don't see any consistency like that coming forward, at least not this season. Next season he will be a year older yet, it just doesn't get any better at this stage of life for an F1 driver. If the team and sponsors like him, fine, but if anyone expects him to dominate, or even crack the top 5 on a consistent basis, I think folks are in for a rude awakening.. and I won't flip-flop.
Whoever said that any of the stuff we post on here is completely objective? Heck, not even what you read from journos is objective most of the time. Everybody has their favorites or their favorite audience they're playing to. And no, I'm definitely not objective when it comes to MS. But that's pretty darn obvious, isn't it? That said, I'm not sure what you're getting at. I thought my statement was fairly neutral. I do believe he expected more from the team and the people he has around him. We all are in awe of Brawn, but since the super diffuser I haven't seen much great things from him. And maybe that wasn't even his idea? I think I could be very objective when it comes to eg. Button or Sutil since I really don't care about either driver. Problem is: Since I don't care about them, I also don't follow them and don't know much I could say in the first place. Except that Adrian shouldn't be drinking too much Moet Chandon. You my Yin? <hugs> Definitely true that I'm trying to be the counterweight to the Rotkaeppchen fans. In fact truth be told I wouldn't give a rats' ass about MS' comeback if it hadn't been for all the rah-rah hoopla about him dominating again and the 8th, 9th and 10th title. If the fans had been realistic, it wouldn't bother me one bit. As Aircon points out: What's the problem with MS being on the grid? Nothing in my mind. But the "MS forever" grandezza is what irks me. Whether that's MS or any other driver. I have also a hard time with the Senna fans calling their idol "the best ever" each time his death's anniversary comes around. He was one of the greatest and one of the most successful drivers. But just like MS (or Lauda, Prost, Piquet, Nuvolari, etc) we can't say he was THE greatest. I said last year that I wouldn't be surprised if he won some races towards the end of the season. And quite frankly I'm surprised that never happened because me too I thought he'd be better at his comeback. I always thought that another title was out of the question, but an occasional victory should be achievable. This year I don't think this will happen unless it is some freaky GP where the front runners all drive into each other (La Source in the rain anybody?). Granted the media overreacts. Both ways. But the scenario of MS doing some fantastic things seems slim at best now. Personally I wouldn't mind if he could leave the stage on a high of a victory.
In all my years of watching racing, I have only seen one guy come out of retirement and do even half-okay, and that was Niki Lauda, in a time long ago. ALL the others I have seen have either turned around and quit again, or in some cases they were killed, and folks wondered why they ever came back in the first place. I mean across several series, not just F1. I always get very afraid when a driver comes out of retirement - especially at or over age 40. Lauda came back at age 33 - BIG difference.
