Schumacher On Being The Number One Driver

It would be interesting to know if Ferrari demanded it of the number 2 driver. I wonder what started the interview in the first place. Sounds like he is trying to improve his image. I like the guy and he doesn't have to explain winning to me. He is a logical guy and his quote above is a logical statement.

 

So when Ruben's let him pass and win it was because Ruben's was such a nice guy? BS.

 

BS, ask Martin Brundle or Johnny Herbert when they were helping develop the Benettons. MS was the most selfish Bastard on a team in F1 History.

 

Yeah, and I'm sure Senna was the most giving and fair racer on the track in history, right? When you know you're not as good as someone else, you either suck it up and do your best and give credit where credit is due or you whine , like Brundle or Barrichello.

 

i agree with Ron. but aside from that, i think MS has this attitude of ' takes anything to win '.

what i meant was, Schumi doesn't give up in any way to get the win. for example, it was so hard for him to even let Rubens win back in 2002 and 2004 when he secured the WDC with half the season still to go.


for him, i think winning is everything. him and Senna. now thats the common thing between both of em.

 

I'm sure that Michael was the fastest driver on any team he's been on. And when he had enough clout, he fought hard to make sure that position could never be challenged. Hence the opposition to working with Hakkinen or Raikonnen, contenders who most certainly could have queered the pitch for him.

I have no doubt MS was one of the greatest drivers to have ever graced the sport. I just wish he could've done it without the need to have someone he so obviously outclassed play second fiddle to him on his team all the time.

 

Read Alain Prost's comments on the way Senna used to do his de-briefs after his sessions when they were at McLaren and you'll change that statement.
Prostsaid the way he gave the informaton so freely you'd think they were best friends. Not so with MS, he was known to keep things to himself.

 

If we all were in Schumacher's shoes and really wanted to win races AND become champion, we'd all do the same or you'd just be a handful of also rans. Even Mika Hakkinen never helped Coulthard despite DC helping him on many occasions.

 

Yeah but other than 1997 in Jerez, DC was never made to move over for Mika. RB being made to move at the 2002 Austrian GP was a total joke as were other occasions when team orders were implemented. No other driver ever had this sort of set up on any team. Regardless of what he says, if he asked for it or not, it was bad for his reputaion and for the sport. What makes it even more ridiculous was that he never needed such orders.

 

why is Schumacher explaining it now? to clean up his image? why didn't he explain it then?

 

oh boy...here we go again, Senna is the greatest (because he is dead and really never had to prove anything other than dying) and Schumacher is the worst because (please fill in your own arguments here no matter how deluted they are)

In 1980 the same mechanics were working on both cars, hence the sharing of information. In 1990 to date there are two teams of mechanics. Actually the cars travel in seperate trailers and have all their own support trucks with their own tools. No sharing whatsoever. Not event the fuel rig is shared.

In the 70s drivers would go get drunk the night before the race, you never saw that from Senna. So by that argument I say he was a whiner and unsocial driver and not worthy of any title. If you cannot hold your liquor and drive you are not fit for F1. go argue with THAT!

 

he is being interviewed. Why is he explaining why he loves his kids?

Half empty glass mentaility!

 

so michael has half empty glass mentality?

 

When was the last time any other driver other than RB in 02 was told to move over that early in the season with the championship not even close? RB wasn't even given the chance to win regardless of how much faster he was than MS on that day.Team orders was one thing, that was something else.

And to Martin, no one said anything about Senna being one thing and Schumacher anything else. The arguement is about the team orders themselves. If MS says he never demanded such thing then we have to take his word for it. He did however, greatly benefit from such things. MS would have won the title by a mile that year anyway, why even do such things?

 

of course, i agree with what u pointed out, Luis. regarding the 2002 Austrian GP. what Ferrari did was totally embarassing and nonsense. yes, of course there has to be team orders, but not at that stage of the season, and with Schumi has such a big lead in the WDC, it was totally not needed.

but, the orders came from Ferrari. Ferrari made that pretty clear. Yes, Schumi was in a position to argue with that decision, but then again, when ur in his shoes, winning's everything.

having said that, altho i am a big Schumi fan, i wished that day never happend. it was really silly and embarrasing.

 

when do u want his to explain this? post race? have him release an official statement for the press?

 

That's just my point, he could have backed off himself and not let RB let him by or told the team this is not right and chosen not to switch places in Austria. Team orders have a time and place. That was not it and tainted both Michael's, and the teams' legacy in my view.

 

well, what u pointed out was very true. i disgaree with both MS and Ferrari's action on this. full disagree. but, do u still remember MS's post race interview?

his answer was : but what if we lost the WDC by 10 points?

this is typical Michael. he will win at all costs. just like Senna was.

 

You know that today in 2006 but you did not know that early in the season of 2002. To ensure the extra points he was told to move over.
Nobody liked it. For all I feel they should have lied and claimed some technical error on Rubens slowing down. I do however understand the decision from Ferrari.

What a lot of you forget is that Ferrari invests $250,000,000+ into each season to win a Constructors and/or Drivers Championship. At this sort of investment you don't look for TV ratings but for the results. 2-extra points can and will make the difference in F1 as we have seen this year.

Winning comes at a price. Sometimes that price is team orders. Sometimes the price is technical cheating. They all do it, they have all done it and they all will do it.
How else can you explain that FA all of a sudden has a car that blows the Ferrari into bits and pieces when the Ferrari was untouchable just a few months before. How can he take off the line so much faster than any other car on the grip? You think that has to do with illegal electronics or hidden launch controls? Well, just maybe

 

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