More of the same - Michael should retire... | FerrariChat

More of the same - Michael should retire...

Discussion in 'F1' started by Anthony_Ferrari, May 12, 2005.

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  1. Anthony_Ferrari

    Anthony_Ferrari Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    2,278
    Sheffield, UK
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    Anthony Currie
    I know these stories keep cropping up and they probably always will until Michael makes the decision. Just thought it was worth reporting that Alain Prost has joined the likes of Lauda, Irvine, Ralf Schumacher, and others in opining that Michael is past it:
    http://www.gp2003.com/news/news.php?lang=uk&lastpoll=&id=10310&mode=detail&month=5&year=2005
    As a side note - what idiot decides to call their website gp2003.com?!
     
  2. Admiral Thrawn

    Admiral Thrawn F1 Rookie

    Jul 2, 2003
    3,932
    Well, the way things are going, this season is hardly a high point. Statistically on a season by season basis, it's one of the lowest of his career.

    The time for him to leave on a high passed as soon as he decided to race in 2005.

    I think he should race till at least the end of the 2006 season; that way if Ferrari can't turn 2005 around, he'll at least have another season to redeem himself and the team.
     
  3. Cavallino Motors

    Cavallino Motors F1 World Champ
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    I know from someone VERY close to Michael that he is in fact retiring next season. looks like this is his last. :(

    That decision was made already a few months back and people high up at Ferrari are aware of it and Ralf is also aware of that.
     
  4. jknight

    jknight F1 Veteran

    Oct 30, 2004
    7,821
    Central Texas
    Perhaps you should enlighten the press with this knowledge and give them something to talk about.

    Carol
     
  5. Cavallino Motors

    Cavallino Motors F1 World Champ
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    I think Alain Prost is doing enough of that for the both of us. :)
     
  6. speedy_sam

    speedy_sam F1 Veteran

    Jul 13, 2004
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    Bah... Prost has been saying the same thing since the last three years. Forget him!

    If Michael is indeed retiring next year as Martin says, I hope the car will improve soon enough and give Michael the opportunity to show jaded fans what a superb champion he is - kinda like in Imola.

    Monaco unfortunately will not be the race that will do it as Michael as starts with a compromised QLF1 starting position.
     
  7. F1racer

    F1racer F1 Rookie

    Oct 5, 2003
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    Jean
    :(
     
  8. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Interesting point and you're probably right. Not enough rubber left on the road when he needs it the most. But who knows, mother nature could throw another wrench into qualifying. It ain't over till the fat lady sings...

    BTW: It's funny Prost recommends retirement when he himself got bitten by the racing bug again and he put his racing helmet back on.
     
  9. Koby

    Koby Formula 3

    Dec 14, 2003
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    This from the the guy who came out of retirement to drive the 1993 Robo-Williams to one of the easiest Championships ever. I think Alain should retire... from making useless comments.
     
  10. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Kinda true, although his "retirement" really was only a sabbatical to avoid Senna as a team mate.

    Prost is sour grapes ever since Michael got his 5th title thereby eclipsing Prost's 4 of a modern times champion.
     
  11. speedy_sam

    speedy_sam F1 Veteran

    Jul 13, 2004
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    I really dont give a damn anymore when any of these retired F1 champs or drivers make their sweeping comments about todays racing or on Schumi.

    Stewart is always harping about the safety front and attacks Schumi for "rough driving" the same way he attacked Senna a decade earlier.

    Today's racing is a lot safer than the 60s/70s. Drivers can take more calculated risks and not pay the ultimate price. Schumi lives closer on the limit than anyone else. He has a unquenchable fight to win and dominate - thus sometimes it means that he performs moves that wouldnt be considered gentlemanly. But Schumi has matured and is not as rough as he used to be. And besides has anyone seen Mark Webber drive - he is ultra aggressive. And the brake check move by Alonso on DC in Nurburgring two years back was really shocking.

    Prost and Martin Brundle always mention (with envy) about how Schumi has built a huge team around himself and it is this factor rather than just sublime driving skills that brought him to the top. They feel that any other driver in the same position would have done the same.

    Martin Brundle wonderful commentator that he is wasnt a good driver by any means. He was schooled by Schumi who was in his first full season then and didnt like it.

    Prost is just jealous that his record was beaten nay obliterated by Schumi as tifosi12 rightly pointed out. Also his team organization skills were pretty ****ty considering his team tanked.

    Only Stirling Moss is a definite schumi fan - he thinks he is up there with Senna and Fangio.

    The point is that racing today is nothing like racing 10 years ago or earlier. So all these retired drivers try to compare the environment in their times with today and try to take potshots at Schumi. I mean their points all might have some basis to it but so what. Its the ad nauseum repetition of these themes that bug me.

    Rant over! :)
     
  12. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    I hope MS is not up THERE yet. And not for a long, long time...
    :)

    Not even a question, whether he ranks with Senna and Fangio in my mind.

    You have an interesting point about the former drivers like Stewart commenting on safety. Never thought about it, but if they look at it through their own view, that would be the wrong way to approach it. You're right, today's cars are way safer. But let's not get too oblivious. Michael had his fair share of accidents, that could have ended really bad (Melbourne, Mugello and Interlagos).
     
  13. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

    Mar 16, 2002
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    The other thing about Michael is that this season will probably motivate him even more for 2006. Anyone who says he's lost it a bit is full of crap. I mean, consider the sources. I like Prost, but I think he's gone a bit daft since his records were broken, along with his failed team. And Lauda, he was one of my all-time favorite drivers who turned into one of the all-time worst retired drivers! And forget Ralf. He's just a big *****. Michael is one of those rare athletes we get to watch ever so rarely who never seems to fade down to the level of his rivals. Like Michael Jordan, except I think that once MS retires, he won't be stupid enough to keep coming back.
     
  14. Admiral Thrawn

    Admiral Thrawn F1 Rookie

    Jul 2, 2003
    3,932
    I certainly hope not. I do want to see Michael retire on a high, which I doubt 2005 will be.

    If he does race next year I'll make an effort to go to the Australian Grand Prix and see him again in person while he's still racing in F1 (I first met him in the early 90's at Adelaide). I hope I haven't already missed my chance.

    BTW: If he's retiring at the end of this season, what was all the talk about him extending his contract past 2006?
     
  15. Admiral Thrawn

    Admiral Thrawn F1 Rookie

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    :)
     
  16. henkie

    henkie La Passione...
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    Believe me, he won't retire this season.
    He will only retire after a season ending as world champ.

    Not after this ****ty season.
     
  17. imperial83

    imperial83 F1 Rookie
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    May 14, 2004
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    I will second this information. It is mostly accurate!
     
  18. speedy_sam

    speedy_sam F1 Veteran

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    If we take it as a given that Michael will retire next year, then perhaps we can assume that Michael's comments to the press on extending his contract is just a smokescreen to take attention away from JT's manouevres to get Kimi and/or Alonso for 2007. Interesting that both drivers do not have a contract beyond next year. And to underlie the value of these drivers, both their current teams are offering them the drive for life option.

    Now if I were KR or FA, given how fortunes have changed so drastically in the last 2 seasons it must be a tough decision to either continue with their team or switch to Ferrari.

    Ferrari has the magical allure that no other team in F1 has got. But will the Ferrari team of 2007 be as strong as today? I am not refering to the car performance (as this is dependent on the rules of that year) - I am referring to the team quality in 2007. I think a lot of top people like Paolo Martinelli, Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne will all retire with Michael.

    It may not make much of a difference in the short term due to the flywheel effect of knowledge gained in the season before the top guys quit. But thereafter the team will suffer unless the next rank of guys are equally good.

    So will FA/KR do a Jean Alesi - i.e. join a team with a classy name but little else or do a MS - join a team with a classy name and a championship winning team?

    Only time will tell
     
  19. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Mar 25, 2002
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    all these guys are just jealous that they are not still in a seat making $80 million/year. frankly if i were schumi i wouldnt stop racing till i was noticeably slower than the top 5. he would have been 2nd or 3rd last week had he not had 2 flat tires !
    and the audience should be glad they can still watch the very best driver of our era still on the track.
     
  20. racerx3317

    racerx3317 F1 Veteran

    Oct 17, 2004
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    Michael will do what makes Michael happy, when he wants to do it. As it should be.
     
  21. F SPIDER

    F SPIDER F1 Rookie
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    Jan 30, 2002
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    rijk rietveld
    Don't believe anything until it's officially denied.
     

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