The story behind Michael Schumacher's retirement

Actually, this thread should go away.

Nevertheless, Michael Schumacher's biography, not an autobiography, but his actual bio, is being released this week, Friday, just in time for Christmas. Prepared by Sabine, MS's cute personal assistant.

Unfortunetely initially only in German.

The intent of the book is "to let the people that have followed my career be able to get a closer idea of the environment I've just left".

I am curious what he says. Now that would be coming from the cavallino's mouth.

 

Good read. The truth is probably somewhere in between. There is no reason for this thread to go away.

 

Ok, Monza. Boring winter, it's going to be 55 and sunny today. Wait till the high's about 10. Anyway, here he is.
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I believe Rubython is an associate of Bernie Ecclestone and Ecclestone, indirectly, owns the magazine. Wether the article is true or not, it certainly generates conversation and interest in Formula 1...just what Ecclestone is out to achieve.

The article makes perfect sense to me, all of it. Montezmolo is looking at the long term picture whilst Todt is operating the "now". Everything is now in place for Todt to carry on managing things so Luca can continue his path.

Enzo would be proud.

What would be really interesting however, is who pays the server bills for (wouldnt put it past Bernie):
http://www.businessf1.net/

There was one quote from Raikkonen that people who didnt see the UK TV feed from the last GP of the season might not have heard about. Martin Brundle was doing his usual pit walk when the "Thanks Michael Celebration" was taking place at the front of the grid.

Virtually all the drivers were there and Brundle interviewed a couple. They said things like "well, we all looked upto Michael he was the one to beat" and "we wish him well" etc. At that point Brundle noticed Raikonnen standing way off against the pitwall seperate to the celebrations, so he went over to him...Kimi, you have missed the celebration, arn't you interested in giving Michael a good send off? Kimi's replay (in that dry, monotone tone) "I was taking a sh*t..." - looking Brundle straight in the eye, live on TV. Priceless.

 

Rubython WAS an associate of Bernie, WAS being the important word

 

LM resembles somebody else, Robert Plant maybe? No, its the guy from Monty Python, forgot his name.

 

I just gotta ask, why have you and Montezemelo never been seen at the same place, at the same time.

 

Correct, just been doing some checking - "was" is the right word and the mag isnt a Bernie wrag either, that was the old mag when Rubython was with BE - sorry. I still believe the article though.

 

Graham Chapman RIP

 

Personally I think it's two plus two equalling 38!!

There may be some truth in some of it but my gut feeling is that it is a long way from the real full story which none of us will know for many years to come.

 

...or it could just be that he's forming his own race team. He's got the money, financial connections, and name recognition...probably could coach a few up-n-coming drivers a bit, too.

Done right, such a move would come after a prelude of PR so that retirement from Ferrari wouldn't be directly associated with starting the new race team.

Hypothetically.

 

You're kidding right? Footnotes? This isn't a high school English report. Reporters don't always tell who they're talking to because people don't always want to be known to be talking to reporters. How do you think investigative reporters get thrown in jail for not revealing their sources? Have you forgotten about Deep Throat? I’d imagine anyone within the Ferrari organization that might have given any information to this man wouldn’t want to be named as a source. I suspect they’d quickly be out of a job.

While I'll agree a lot of this is very suspect I also feel a lot of this is very valid. I have no doubt there's been a power struggle within Ferrari, I work at large company and there are egos that get bruised and points that must be made whether it's for the good or detriment of the company. Ferrari has always been known for it's inner politics and the only thing that's surprised me is how well Todt, MS, and Braun were able to dismantle and stem keep all of that infighting at bay.

If you think this sounds too far fetched I suggest you read Barbarians at the Gates. Human beings are prone to folly and the things that go on within the "well oiled machines" that are corporations would surprise you.

 

Why should this thread go away?

Why would anybody want to read something a press secretary has written? The time MS (or rather Mr 20%) thought it was necessary that we can no longer hear what the champ thinks but what a spin doctor considers politically correct and in the best interest of the corporation Ferrari I lost interest in anything he had to say. Listen to his press statements before she was hired (I believe in 99) and thereafter and it is day and night.

You might as well make up your own spin.

There is a good biography of MS out there already. It was written before his Ferrari days but gives a deep inside into the man and his thinking during his way up the ladder and in his Benetton days. Very interesting also in regards to his connection with Senna.

 

who's Mr. 20%??

 

Willi Weber. He gets 20% of all of MS' earnings. He is his manager. Of course made a ton of $$$ (estimated at over 100 mio US) and I can't stand the guy for all the spin nonsense he feeds the press (after the Chinese GP he publicly stated that they had the title in the bag and would not loose it), but he deserves respect for having put up his own money to buy MS that all important Jordan test at Silverstone.

PS: On a related note: I was wondering whether Willi had already flown in T-shirts and hats stating "8 times world champion" to Japan? He did a similar thing in 1998 and had to throw them all into the garbage container at Suzuka...

 

ah ic. it thought it was Luca.

 

Don't confuse sleaze with cleverness.

I'm surprised by all the negative comments here (and in other threads) regarding Luca. I think he is one of the smartest guys on the planet and any Ferrari fan should worship this guy for having brought the company back from the dark ages: He brought the racing team back to the title and the dominance thereafter as well as the car production from the plastic 348 to such superlatives as the Enzo and the F430.

The guy is a genius. Period.

 

No, I haven't forgotten Deep Throat. And No, I am not kidding about footnotes. Especially from a "reporter" with the questionable history of the author of the story in question. If a legitimate reporter was as continuously wrong as this gentleman, then they would not be around very long, would they. And if your writing was often proven wrong, I would think that showing some proof of your position would be necessary. If Bob Woodward had the reputation of the author of this Schumacher article, his editor would never have printed the story.

I do not question the politics within Ferrari. Every organization has politics.

I would think that the specific information devulged in this article was known by only certain specific people on the staff of the three teams involved, so it should be easy to deduce the source of the leak. How many people in an organization know the details of a driver's contract? Would anyone suggest that someone on the staff of Renault, Ferrari, and McLaren could be comprimised to leak retainer information? One team maybe, but all three teams had leaks? How many people within Ferrari would be privy to Schumacher's feelings and opinions? So you would suggest that those people would divulge this information to a reporter with questionable history? Do you see where I am going?

I stick to my original opinions about this thread. Until I hear it from the horses mouths, the article that is the subject of this thread is just fiction. I am still waiting from someone to answer with fact the questions I have asked in this thread.

 

+1 another reason why you are the best moderator on this chat site. And no I am not sticking my nose up his a$$$$$$$$.

 

Nice watch

 

Yup, that's the one. Excellent read.

Thanks Senna1994, you're a good egg around here.

 

Admiral:
Thanks - looking forward to the article.
KS