they know that too, if you look at the quotes of Michael, half of them are playing up to Ferrari and the tifosi because they know there will be backlash.
True, but in the end it won't matter: Weber is already getting inundated with requests for merchandising licenses. I bet the Germans will go gaga next year and Hockenheim sell out. A German WDC in a German car with a German engine. Walhalla! Oh yessss. Imagine Alonso and MS take each other out (or just one the other). It'll be never ending on here.
I'd be surprized if he did not win. We are talking about the same chassis and engine that won the championship with Button in it and Rubens second. Mercedes just bought the existing team and they will now be pumping cubic dollars into it where last year they were on a wing and a prayer. I like Jenson, but I don't think he is near the driver Michael is now and not nearly what he once was. But....that all depends on how all the cars stack up against each other at the first race. As far as seat time. It will come back and with the no test ban of the past few years I don't see it an issue as he has been in a lot of other rides. Mercedes also does nothing half ass and neither does Brawn or MS for that matter.
I hadn't even thought of that... Oh, I have SO MUCH merchandise to buy this year... the black/silver of Mercedes with the Schumacher name on it... will be FANTASTIC!
Good for you I suppose. I think the last time the Mercedes GP cars had a German at the steering wheel, they were actually named "Silver Arrows" for the first time. One thing that hasn't changed since then: The team manager is one heavy fat guy.
This is not the same Schumacher anymore. He might stand a chance to get on the podium near the end of the season, but that's all I see for his 1 possibly 2 year return. I really think Alonso is the driver Ferrari has needed, and I think he will, fit in even more so once Massa is gone. Btw is that a manolantern?
Only problem is they couldn't develop the engine at all. With the no refueling next season the team with the efficient engine is going to be king.
Bookmarked. Well shall see, won't we? Based on interviews I've watched, I think Michael wants to win with every fiber in his body and show the world he can beat every last one of the young hotshots, none of whom have come close to touching his records. And as we all know, when Michael focuses himself, he can do things that ordinary drivers can't. Michael is kind of like Kimi on a hot lap, but he's like that EVERY LAP, especially when it's needed most, plus he can improve the car. And he's going to be on a well funded, well managed team with the best engine on the grid. I think he'll certainly be in the top 3, if not WDC in 2010 and could do even better after that. One thing is for certain, if the Mercedes GP car is even slightly superior to the rest of the grid--------the grid is TOAST. Michael will eat them all. So we shall see.
I get that and agree with it. What I don't understand is why so many folks on here want the same thing. This is neither MS Chat nor Mercedes chat.
+1 Very strange! I don't know whether I should be happy that Schumacher returns or sad that he goes to Mercedes, but I'm surprised by the enthusiasm here.
Fully agree. All the discussions here seem to be based on the assumption that all cars will be equal in terms of performance and even more in terms of fuel efficiency. Especially the latter is a huge advantage of the Mercedes engine.
IMO part of the problem is Alonso is disliked. Had it been Vettel @ Ferrari the poll would look alot different.
I'm not a MS fan, but I'm very happy he is back because it is good for the sport. But from a Ferrari perspective this is very bad news: He is a strong competitor and he has betrayed the team he swore to retire with. So why all the cheering on here? Actually thinking about it, here is my explanation for the unusual high level of support for MS on a Ferrari site: F1 is a "young sport" in the US that hasn't much of a following before there was Speed TV and the USGP at Indy. FChat is mostly a US web site userwise. Combine the two and you realize that a lot of the folks on here who follow F1 have been doing so only for this decade and "grew up" with MS when he was driving for Ferrari.
No one can predict anything until february 1st, when the testing begins. I think he might still have it, he may not have won the 'supernats' karting event but he was never the quickest on karts.
Andreas; for me it's very simple. Michael brought immense success to Ferrari; I cheered for him every race. I loved his total commitment to winning (unlike vodka boy). Because of my respect for him, his enthusiasm and what he did for Ferrari, it just feels natural to root for him. I think your comment about him betraying Ferrari is a little far-fetched. He retired from Ferrari; tried to come back, but couldn't, and was presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity; a winning car and to be reunited with Ross Brawn. A betrayal would have been him switching in the 90's or 2000's
With the crazy seasons that we've had, a win or two and several podiums might just be enough for the WDC haha. I hope for the best. I love Ferrari, but I'd love to see MS come back and wipe the field too. Who wins, a hurricane or Ditka?
No, but is is a very good F1 section and MS has brought a lot to F1 and I feel still has more to give. It is good for the sport overall. This is why I am surprised that so many put Vettel so high in their rankings. The Renault was certainly no great power source last year. The Merc certainly seemed to be the best lump of the bunch last year. With fuel economy coming into play this year, though, it could be anyone's game. Very true. 2010 could prove to the best, most competitive in a long time.
You make some good points, though I don't know if the state-side tifosi on FChat are so *new* to the sport? Still, I'm older than anyone else on FChat, and I cheer the man rather than the make. It's just so exciting when you see a *person* do something so extravagantly well; not so involving to think of the car doing something well...the car could not do it without the driver; a talented driver could do well in *any* car. Do you think a Euro-centric forum would more heavily favor the car over the man? Of course I would cheer for Ferrari against all other *cars*, even though I have more *other* cars than Ferrari's..... A great discussion, and one never to have a definitive resolution; perhaps a *mystery of life*...... Tritone edit: well, I'm done with * for now;-)
The combo of Brawn, Schumacher, and the Merc lump make it hard to bet against them. If only they knew someone at the FIA, they would be unstoppable!
