per Autosport: Ferrari driver announcement after Monza Ferrari will make an announcement concerning their drivers after the Italian Grand Prix on September 10. Finland's Kimi Raikkonen is widely expected to be joining from McLaren but the main suspense concerns the future of seven times world champion Michael Schumacher, who could announce his retirement. The most successful driver in Formula One history is out of contract at the end of the season, although he has an open invitation to stay, and has been urged by his manager Willi Weber to go out at the top. The German, who will be 38 in January, is 12 points adrift of Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso with four races remaining and Monza could be his European farewell. "Ferrari will make an announcement on Sunday after the race," Schumacher's spokeswoman said. Formula One insiders increasingly expect him to retire, particularly if he wins an unprecedented eighth title. "The fact that Maranello will announce their 2007 line-up only after the end of the race leads one to believe that Sunday's race will be Schumacher's last Monza," said Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. Carol
Makes sense. Plus, there was probably a competitive out-clause for Kimi by this point in the season. My guess is, Michael announces retirement and the team announces Kimi. But boy do I love the suspense!
Maybe Micahel wants to see if he win's the race or not to decide if he'll retire. Never know.....the suspense is building and it's awesome, I can't wait to see who's going to be piloting for scuderia next season.
I have to think that SpeedTV will stay with the press conference. Seeing as how it will still be early in the morning, they can afford to pre-empt that Auto Industry show once.
I'll have to sure to set the DVR to allow for extra time after the race then, I'd hate to cut it off in the middle.
I was hoping they would, but I have a bad feeling if MS isn't in the post race interview (Ie on the podium) we won't see the Ferrari press conference...we'll get to see Nascar Poker or some crap like that. Mark
That, or they announce JV and J-P M as their drivers for next year...... Ferrari, managed by Ganassi, sponsored by Target...... LOL
interesting : "Okay, the Istanbul race did not go our way in terms of the championship. Now things have become tougher. "However, anyone thinking that we would hide our heads in the sand would be very wrong. We are still going for the title and this is the desire of each and every one of us. "There are still 40 points up for grabs and so it is a possibility. We will continue attacking, putting on the pressure and taking risks as this is the only tactic possible. "I don't usually like making promises but I would like to make just one - we will continue doing all that we can to take the title." That's fighting talk, not the sentiments of a man winding down his career. i'm guessing he's gonna wait for the outcome of MOnza, and i do think Ferrari has this one in the bag, so my guess is, he'll continue! Go Schumi!
ME TOO - ONE MORE YEAR - I've attended quite a few of the F1 races where he set records - please Michael one more F1 Test Day at Maranello and I'd be happy! Off to Mosport to cheer the Risi Ferraris on to GT2 victory. Carol
German Bild interviewed a few F1 folks what they think will happen or what their wishes are: - MS' father "I have no idea. He decides that himself" - Todt, W. Weber, Bernie, Stuck, Berger and Montezemolo all hope he continues - Villeneuve said it is time for MS to leave since he is merely cheating - Marc Surer wished MS would quit so he can retire in style and not get clobbered by the young guns next year - Nikki Lauda thought that if MS quits, he'll no longer drag that decision around and will be much more focused and successful in the remaining races for the title.
Thank you for the memories Michael Schumacher! We will miss you and you will always remain the greatest racer of all time!
Michael, if you lurk these boards, will you send me one of your driver's suits like Morry got? It is my 40th birthday this month! Just PM me for my address, etc.
Well, you might have a better shot at that suit if your handle was "Michael1". I'm just not convinced that Kimi is the wonder he's cracked up to be. If "good luck" is a matter of preparation, what does that say about a driver with hugely bad luck? I think that another year under Michael's tutelage could make Massa a world class contender, and a suitable replacement at Ferrari. I just hope Schumi doesn't want to punctuate his career by having Ferrari fall apart after he leaves. (The "irreplaceable man" syndrome.) The way things stand at this point, if Ferrari falls, F1 could collapse with it. One more year, to leave a championship class team as his legacy, instead of a tangled wreckage of a race series.
I totally share your thoughts regarding Kimi and your entire post - it could not be said any better than that!!! Carol
Nonsense. Kimi will win the 2007 Championship on Ferrari. Why? Who else is there to challenge him? Alonso shot himself in the foot going to McClonk and Nico and Heikke are still too young/inconsistent to clinch it. Everybody else is down on speed/talent.
I've always been a fan of Kimi because he's always on the gas and it's not my equipment. I'll even go buy something red, and I don't even like red. The best part will be the excitement of the post race interviews.
Assuming MS retires, Massa ? Didn't Alonso come from nowhere to win it last year ? Wasn't he the #2 man on Renault going into 2005 ?
Massa and Button are contenders, but nothing more. You can't seriously compare Massa with Alonso. MS, Kimi and Alonso are on a different level from the rest of the field. Nico and Heikki will get to that level one day. The rest will remain where they are today. As well as Massa drove in Istanbul, people seem to quickly forget a) his horrible Hungary race and that b) he sits in the currently best car there is (used to be the Renault before they took away the mass dampers).
i think he had a horrid race in hungary not only due to tyres, but also he lacks experience in the rain. i think he just raced 3-4 races in the rain?
That's not an excuse: Really great drivers are born with superhuman car control. Senna had it, MS has it and Alonso showed it in the rain of Hungary passing on the outside. You can't learn racing in the rain. You either have it or you don't. If a driver doesn't have it by the time he reaches F1, he'll never be outstanding in the rain. Oddly enough there are some rainmasters who still didn't amount to much: Alesi comes to mind.
Massa and Button are just another Coulthard. They may win a race on a rare occasion but they are no threat to do anything more. In my opinion, Massa is fortunate just to be in F1. I don't see anyone out there that is on the level of a Kimi or Fernando.
