The Schumacher Movie

You forgot to add Walkinshaw, who some also described as a crook. I believe it was TW that really picked out Schumacher rather Briatore (c'mon does one really think Flavio - who just ran a chain of uber successful Benetton shops in the USA the year before - picked out Schumacher when Walkinshaw ran the TWR/Jaguar team in sports car racing when Schumi was racing - it was Tom Walkinshaw who sacked Barnard, bought back in Rory Byrne and hired Martin Brundle & Ross Brawn - who designed the XJR-14 below)
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Something about a Pot and Kettle being a similar colour?

 

Hey.... Clever!

*Rolls eyes*

 

When did you own the TG 185? Original Hart Turbo or Cosworth V8?

 

My thoughts too, which was why I said meh.

I was looking for some real behind the scenes footage and all I got was some happy snaps

I did enjoy the Spa scene of Michael going to punch Coldheart in the pits, was great at the time and nice to relive

 

2015. Hart 415 Turbo. I bought it via a UK auction. I'd been liaising with a UK F1 restorer, he drove half the length of Britain to pick the car up and trailer it back to his workshop. He called me the next day and said "there's something not quite right about this car". The auction house gave me the contact details of the seller, who was one of the Toleman drivers from 1985. I asked him to send me a letter validating the car (so I'd be able to get an FIA logbook for it) and he said, "sorry, I can't do that because I don't know if the car is real". 2 honest men, who could have lied and taken my money.

So now I'm in a panic, thinking I've been dudded. I called the auction house, ready for a fight, but they were really good (Silverstone Auctions) and refunded my money without hesitation. My costs were the transport both ways, plus I lost about 5K on the currency exchange.

The F1 restorer said he knew where chassis #5 was so a few weeks later I was in the workshop of an ex-Benetton engineer who had a row of customers' cars there, including ex-Schumacher cars. I looked at #5 and thought it was a bit too perfect (racing cars show wear and tear very quickly) so off I went to do my research. I worked out it was another fake, this time using the tub of the UK show car. I had found another former Benetton engineer, he was very candid. Apparently when Briatore bought Toleman he had no money. There were 9 spare TG185 tubs in the racks, he instructed the team to build up 5 of them for sale, duplicating the chassis no.s of the 5 real cars. So there are 10 TG185's out there, half are (very good) fakes.

You can't race without a logbook and the process is very thorough. There's also a thing called a "FIA Historic Passport" for recreations, but the car has to be 100% accurate, which is impossible for Benettons because of the cheat parts that no longer exist. Even the ex-Berger car that's in Australia isn't correct.

I have no interest in owning a fake car, for me historic racing is the passion. Some people buy cars without log books and are happy to just do track days and sprints, but that's not for me.

 

I really enjoyed the footage of his karting days. Digging through rubbish bins to find used tyres, while his Mum worked in the cafe. He came up the hard way, fighting kids with much bigger budgets, and this gave me a perspective on why he was so ruthless during his F1 career.

The home movies were great too and the obvious love that his wife and children have for him.

 

Fixed.

 

My wife and I sat down and watched the film last night, we enjoyed it thoroughly, very well done, quite an emotional film indeed .

 

Your wingsuit is in the mail.

 

Too soon?

 

Me neither. I was always a big Mansell fan.

And I still carry resentment for that event in 1994! That was a deliberate take-out.

 

Rubbish. Already discussed. WUTY

 

Ouch, 2.5 stars according to this review

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/schumacher-documentary-a-disappointing-tribute-to-an-extraordinary-life-20210914-p58rk8.html

 

I thought it was decent but could have been an entire 12 hour miniseries. It skipped over entire years I would have wanted to see more about. The orchestral music was nice and added a magical feel to the driving footage - I got choked up a few times just watching those sequences.

No spoilers but it also lacked details I really wanted from the past 8 years. Dissatisfying and vague. His wife seems like a genuine saint though.

Surprises:

• Ross Brawn is British and not German (I always thought he was German)
• Jean Todt gave his interview in French rather than English
• Nothing from Rubens? At all? That they didn't mention him was weird. Not even his name IIRC.
  
• Not much from Ralf

 

Told you ..... meh

 

That's about all I got out of it, but then I've read 2 books on Schuey's life

 

Fixed.

 

Watched it last night.

Unfulfilling, so many unanswered questions, however what a beautiful family. His wife Corinna loves him so much and is truly an especially beautiful person.

I loved her comment, "Michael protected us and now we are protecting Michael."

 

You old softie

 

Not when I'm with you.

 

TMI

Wondered why you liked tracksuit pants.

 

I started watching it. I fell asleep. When you compare it to the senna movie or the senna documentary I find this one lacking. It started off well but fizzled. I'm surprised they did not get any commentary from Steve matchet who was at Benetton with MS. Matchet always has interesting things to say and is a good story teller.

 

Thanks FBB, I like Schuey but other than getting warm and fuzzy over Corrina the rest wasn't earth shattering