The fans of Michael Schumacher may not like the idea, but there is increasing speculation in Formula 1 circles that the seven-time World Champion may decide to quit the sport (again) at the end of the current season. The stories suggest that the 41-year-old has come to realise that he is wasting his time trying to revive his glory days, as he has found it tough to keep up with Nico Rosberg this season. The two have not been separated by much at some events, and occasionally Michael has been ahead, but the overall trend has been that Rosberg is faster and even changes to the car to try to make Schumacher feel more comfortable have not changed the situation. The latest spate of rumours come after Michael was outpaced at Monza, where Rosberg was consistently faster than Michael in qualifying and finished 15 seconds ahead over the 53 laps in the race, which is just under three-tenths of a second deficit each lap. Rosberg is seventh in the World Championship with 112 points, while Michael is ninth with just 46. These are not disastrous numbers for a rising young star, learning the ropes, but for an older driver they are bad news, and as we have seen with Sauber’s decision to drop Pedro de la Rosa, there is little room in the sport for any lack of performance. It is unlikely that Mercedes-Benz would want to be seen to be dropping Michael, as this would suggest that the decision to take him on was a mistake, but there may be pressure in the background for him to decide that retirement is the best option. If he needs excuses, he still has a neck injury that could be revive to smooth the departure, which would be an explanation that most of the German media would happily accept. There is little question that this season has done nothing to enhance the Schumacher legacy, although perhaps for the man himself it has been necessary for him to understand that time stands still for no man and that one day he must face up to the reality that everyone gets older. Trying to fight that inevitably results in a sad story. There have been successful comebacks in the past, notably that of Niki Lauda, but there was a fundamental difference between Lauda and Schumacher in that Niki retired for the first time at the age of 30. He returned at 33 and won his third World Championship at the age 35.
The latest set of stories suggest that the team is looking to Adrian Sutil as the man best-suited to replace Michael. Sutil’s contract with Force India is coming to an end and if he moves on it will allow another Mercedes rising star, Paul di Resta, to get into Formula 1 as team-mate to Tonio Liuzzi at the Silverstone team.
Mark Hughes in last weeks Autosport had a similar theory centred around MS becoming Sporting Director of Mercedes with a view to taking over as Team Principle in 2/3 years time.
he also speculated that Schu will wait to see how the Pirellis suit his driving style before making the decision.
interesting.
John O’Sullivan,
Should the word principle and Michael Schumacher be used in the same sentence?
Hi Joe, do you think this is connected to the rumours that there is a rift between Ross Brawn and the Mercedes management over the future direction of the team?
Joe. Suggest you read the story how to start an f1 rumour
I would have loved Michael to come back and perform as everyone expected, but reluctantly I think it’s time to be realistic. The cars have changed and it’s obvious Michael is having problems adapting. With the Pirelli tyres being an unknown, it could make the problem worse. I think a lot of the problem is that he’s relaxed about driving now. Before he had the fire to do well and the opportunity to pound round a track racking up the testing miles and perfecting the car to his liking. Now he has neither of those.
However, I think he’s honest enough now to admit that he hasn’t been doing as well as anyone (probably most of all himself) has been expecting.
Regarding the team though, aside from the double diffuser breakthrough, I can’t see how the team is performing any better than when it was BAR/Honda. It seems to be just about where they always were. Sure they took advantage of their situation last year, but as soon as the other teams installed their own DD, the team struggled. So maybe it’s like Norbert Haug was reported to have said, that there needs to be some changes. Not with Ross Brawn or Nick Fry, but people lower in the team. Perhaps that area needs a shake-up. Didn’t the diffuser idea come from a Super Aguri aero man anyway? That would mean the only major advance that’s worked for them, came from outside the team. Perhaps that’s an indication of what must be done.
Adrian Sutil would be a good choice for Mercedes but I’m hoping for a di Resta/Chandhok lineup in the Force India. That would please Mercedes and of course Indian sponsors in the year of the first Indian GP.
Joe
Good riddance I’m afraid… May be an unpopular view, but to me he has always been a one dimensional driver – epic when the car pivoted on it’s front end. Ordinary when it didn’t…
Just my opinion but I’ve always preferred drivers who can adapt.
Schumachers innate skill was always getting what he wanted in a car and his currency was his speed. No speed equals no say in changing the Merc. Engineers will privately be saying it’s quick in Rosbergs hands.
The best bit about his comeback was the confirmation that he really never knew when to draw the line in defending a position. He hasn’t learned from the likes of Alonso & Kubica that you can be as hard as nails on the track without putting a guy in the wall.
It does seem that the glory days of Michael Schumacher have passed him by, though if he feels that this season is just a write off or a waste of time may sway his choice over if he throws in the towel at the end of this season.
Personally, he hasn’t been able to get back into the groove that the likes of Barrichello has been able to do. Maybe the retirement was originally called too early?
It’s a shame to see but I would like to see Sutil racing in a better team, he has done well this year although Joe you were not a fan, has that changed? I remember you commenting on a sidepodcast, chess player was it, can’t remember what you said.
Either way I would like to have seen MSC compete in a decent car but there are more rumours and no smoke etc..
It seems a long time since Monza although that is maybe because I have been sulking since lap 1 of that race!
Ginger.
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Agree, that Michael’s comeback has not been successful.
I however think that Michael should give it one more year to see if his knowledge of the cars as well as dealing with the Pirelli’s will take him closer to the front.
Beyond that…. probably time to call it a day.
Michael should definitely apologise by winning the next ten WDC’s in a row at the very least.
Before the end of the season would be preferable…
I’m not trying to say that MS was not a great driver, but to me his return highlights the fact that he was never quite as good as everyone thought.
Schumacher dominated the sport in a period where there were almost no other great drivers to compete with him. The only other world class driver who really took the fight to him (and regularly beat him) was Mika Hakkinen. Then Alonso came along at the end and beat him as well for 2 years running. How many championships would Prost or Senna have won if they didn’t have each other, and the likes of Mansell and Piquet to compete with?
The game has moved on. There are now 4-5 top top drivers on the grid and I think in general the bar has been raised. Would Schumacher won 7 world titles if the likes of Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel, Button had been around at the same time? No.
I know he is older now, but the fact that he cannot even compete with his own team mate, in the same car, in the same team, speaks volumes.
Hi,
I think Michael still has it in him. Its takes time for the driver n the car to go along well. I am sure next season will be the answer to his critics. Rosberg is with the team since 2 years now. Take my word Schmi will be back
Jit
I find Schumacher’s return all quite sad really. I’d hoped that he’d either return refreshed and right at the top of his game (like Malaysia 1999) or be absolutely nowhere and walk away after a couple of races.
It’s the worst scenario – he’s just ‘ordinary’, lost somewhere in the mid-field and, apart from the last corner at Monaco perhaps, I unfortunately can’t recall a single moment of brilliance this year.
I also struggle with the logic of team management.
I can’t see the crossover of skills between management and being the World’s best at converting signals from your eyes, hands and back into the perfect steering/pedal input. Doesn’t seem to be enough correlation for a driver to be better than a top manager. Plus your entire job would be doing the things you probably hated as a driver – without the pleasure of driving the car at the end of it.
Give Michael Schumacher a faster car and you will see how really good he is.
Malcolm,
A great driver extracts everything there is from his car. Schumacher used to do it on a regular basis. Thus, if the car is faster, logically Nico Rosberg will be faster still. If Michael can find more pace in a faster car, then he is even more flawed than anyone has thus far suggested.
Never ever was a fan of Scummi during his whole career!!! 7 titles means nothing to me as the late 90s and early 2000s were so lacking in any serious competition for Ferrari and Scummi….Only when Alonso came to Renault did we see a driver with any real talent since Senna!!!! And Scummi was TOLD by Di Montezemolo that he would not be driving in 2007…..the “retirement” was forced upon him and he decided to bail out and take the nice “Ferrari Consultant” bonus ……… Alonso beating him to the 05 and 06 titles showed Di Monty MS was on the downslide!!! I didnt think his comeback was going to be so pitiful at a team like Mercedes, and being beaten by Rosberg every race almost is icing on the cake!! He was a very ordinary driver cleaning up when the track was mostly rubbish. And YES, for me personally, it was the way he cynically removed Damon Hill from the Adelaide race in 94 to win that first title that rang alarm bells for me!!! The worst part of that was that the FIA knew he did it on purpose, but then failed to act, leaving it to Williams to bottle out of appealing against the racce result!!! But oh yes, Williams didnt want to be involved in any more controversy that year did they?? They had already shot themselves in both feet!!!! #:)
As long as the rules limiting testing remain the same, Schumacher will be limited in what he can accomplish. One of his major strengths was in developing the car through massive amounts of testing. Well, that path and thus those skills are useless to him, and you can see the results.
Pat,
…or age has made a difference
Malcolm
Surely if you give Schumacher a faster car, Nico Rosberg will be that bit further up the road…
I think it’s probably a bit of both age and the lack of testing. It’s six years since Schumacher’s last championship — that, even more than his three years away, is indicative of the toll that time has taken on his pace.
In addition to which, his MO was always to race on the weekends and then spend all week pelting around Fiorano working every last kink out of the car. Doing a fifth or less of the running he’s accustomed to, he’s not able to get the car or himself up to the level he needs.
There’s no reason to think that the Pirellis will make a dramatic difference, either. The simple fact is that he has grown older, as men do, and slown down, as men do.
Sanba Man does a great diservise to all the great drivers of the late 90s and early 2000s.
There were plenty of very fast men, but not as fast as Schumacher/Ferrari….end of story.
After all he used to beat Alonso, Button and Massa as i remember.
However time moves on and maybe so sould he.
If he does, quit (again), it was a nice comeback story though he was ultimately unsuccessful. As a Nico Rosberg fan, it would definitely be a boon to his standing – not a large one mind you since some would say Schumacher was washed up, but better than trouncing Alex Wurz.
I don’t think Schumi’s age has anything to do with it Joe. He was rusty because he came into the season cold in a car that Button himself admits that was built around his driving style. In a more neutral handling or even slightly oversteering car and with the experience of a comeback season and pre-season testing, 2011 will be a much better year for Schumi. He should look at his performance in Bahrain, Monaco and Barcelona for encouragement. Not to mention outqualifying Rosberg at Spa and coming from 21st to finish 7th. Would probably have been 6th had the race not been brought under the safety car. The cold tyres on a wet track did him in and allowed Rosberg in an understeery car to pass him back.
Vinayak
If age has nothing to do with it, why did ll modern racing drivers slow down as they got older. And don’t go back to the 1950s, because that really is not relevant. Too much has changed since then. World Champions have been getting younger and younger.
Joe, could you shed any light on he following. Before retiring schumacher was generally rubbish at starts. Now he is superb (even you must admit), making up at least 2-3 positions on the opening lap of every race this season. Possibly the only aspect of his driving which has improved
dkfone,
No idea at all. I had not spotted that.
One can overstate the extent to which Schumacher beat a depleted field back in the day, but it is certainly a factor. His first two titles came against a weakened driver line up at Williams, no internal competition, and greatly weakened Ferrari and McLaren teams.
By 2000, it was Williams and Benetton that were in the doldrums, and a weakened driver lineup at McLaren. And again, no internal competition.
I really hope he does not give up at the end of the season.
Yes, there have been struggles this year, and to be honest we can only speculate why.
I hope the great man gives it another year to see how the lands lies before finally hanging up his helmet.
I have watched many brilliant drives from Schumacher over the years, be it against Hakkinen, Coulthard, Alonso or Raikkonen – the man was/is a genius, and none of the other current drivers can drive with such brilliance and flair like Michael did at the end of the 90′s and early 00′s.
Yes he’s aggressive.
But isn’t that why we like him?
You know with Michael that you will have a decent fight.
David
I agree with Pat and with Joe that age has also made a difference
Micheal’s comeback is apparently unsuccessful, just as Micheal Jordan in NBA
I heard all sorts of excuses : neck injury, oversteer, understeer, new tires, chassis not made for him, old legacy from Honda. OK, then, wait – Rosberg has the same car, right ? MS had more than 10 races to adapt – nothing happened, instead, he’s doing worse, as well as the team – I see no progress in their car, while at the same time I’m suspicious that they will have the budget to build competitive car next year, simply because Honda’s legacy is gone and they should be relying on own money. However, if MS thinks that the situation is like years in Ferrari, he must have been misled. Nevertheless, honestly I’ve never wanted him to be back, as we don’t need killers on the track. Remember 1997 ? Also, as an ex-sport person – yes, the age matters ! If your senses spot a danger, they are able to transmit that signal to your brain via neurotransmitters for around 12 milliseconds, but that’s when you are 25 
Don’t get me wrong, but I love that speculations – even the fact that they exist shows there’s something going on under the hood; adding the Pirelli variable in the equation makes it even lovely.
First, I don’t like MS at all. But it has got to be an age thing. I am roughly his age and although I’m not an athlete I did race in minor formula (FF, FF2000) and I can tell you that age brings a certain deficit to your reflexes and thinking. Even if it is a percent of a percent that is enough to account for his poor showing especially in light of his teammate besting him on most weekends.
Personally, I think it’s a combination of factors – Schmacher’s age, the changes in the cars since 2006 and lack of motivation on Michael’s part. He’s been there and done it all.
When Schuey was great, he only had racing. He spent all his time with the car, testing when he wasn’t racing, with little or no contact with family and friends outside of racing. He focussed on one thing – winning.
This year he’s been chatting to the camera, joking, things that the old Schuey didn’t do. But then again, he didn’t get much testing time this winter, and came into the car after years of not driving.
Surely a good winter testing, in a car designed for him and not Jenson Button, switching on for a serious year, and we might see him back to his best?
Michael Schumacher just enjoy the criticisms from the bitter haters. Your true fans have faith, patience and will remain loyal. I am really surprised how some expect Schumi to just jump in a win!. That is so unrealistic. After all to win a record 7 Championship is no fluke. People who have no faults are terrible, there is no way of taking advantage of them. and Yes, To remain young while growing old is the highest blessing.
Just look at the driver points and each man’s contribution to their team’s constructors points total. The teams that have lopsided contributions from their drivers; Mercedes, Renault and Williams, are suffering compared to the top teams.
… like it did for Brabham, Fangio, Farina, Nuvolari, Caracciola among those who failed to admit being well beyond their prime from 41 onwards. I’m sure Schumi is as worried as I am about it.
[...] post temporão neste blog aposentado, abordando um rumor que se espalha pela internet no momento: fofoca-se pelas esquinas do paddock que o heptcampeão Michael Schumacher está considerando pendurar o seu capacete pela segunda vez [...]
Can’t people just accept that Michael Schumacher is driving a midfield car less effectively than his team mate. In my view his being in that seat is just the result of a knee jerk marketing reaction from Mercedes when their World Drivers Champion walked. 2010 is turning into one of the best seasons ever, Michael Schumacher is merely a sidebar to the story.
Joe
Senna got faster with age, Prost won his last title at the age of 38 after a hiatus (when he had unlimited testing and the most technologically advanced F1 car, probably of all time), Schumi was a blown engine and a shredded rear tyre away from an 8th world title in 2006 at the age of 37 (after coming off a season in which the car and the tyres let him down), Nigel Mansell won a race at 41 in the best car on the grid (he had luck on his side too) before he got super lazy and behind the wheel of an unwieldy McLaren. World Champions have indeed been getting younger but not in a manner that indicates a trend. It took 33 years for Fittipaldi’s record of youngest world champion to be beaten and it would have been Alonso’s but for Hamilton’s extremely good fortune in Brazil in ’08. Jenson Button was the same age that Jody Scheckter was when he won his title. And if Mark Webber beats his baby in a messy diaper (I mean that only in a sliiiiiightly anti-Vettel sentiment) teammate to the title he’ll be older than Prost was when he won his first title.
Vinayak,
Senna got quicker but then he died. He did not have time to slow down.
first, Vinayak Pande has it all wrong.
Button prefers the car to understeer, not oversteer.
I have never liked schumacher, gifted? to a degree
A fair but hard racer? no.
he won most of his championships when there was not any decent opposition, except M Hakk and F Alonso, who both beat him.
the only person who could have made life hard for him was the other guy in the other best car.yes, his own ferrari teammate! but…they were not allowed to race him.
now Rosberg is kicking his ass, and the yardstick has and will always be your own teammate.
so bye schumi, good try, but not good enough.
Schumacher’s championships:
The first two with Benetton – ’94-’95: Traction control. It was banned, they suspected Benetton had it, could not prove it. It was proved a couple of years ago when Schumacher’s car was sold at auction, that it had the TC system. First two championships achieved by cheating.
Ferrari Championships – 2000 -2004: In 2000 he had a slightly better car than Hakkinen, hard battle, well won. 2001 – 2004: Ferrari was in a class by itself, Hakkinen was gone, his only possible competitor would have to come from Ferrari itself, his team mate Rubens Barrichelo. He was not allowed to race Schumacher, we finally saw the blatant cheating at Austria ’02. Barichelo leading all the race was forced to give the position to let Schumacher win. RB did as ordered in the last meters of the race, the cheater was exposed for all the world to see.
Schumacher was a great driver, he had many great races but his image is tainted badly by so many cheats and lack of sportsmanship (last example when he tried to murder Barrichelo this season). Now there are no team orders, no Traction Control, no super car to allow him to win and he’s older now. He needs to retire now. I believe this is a fitting end to a driver that used cheating as one of the tools of his trade.
I wonder if Michael hasn’t had a chat with Nick Heidfeld about next year’s Pirelli’s and decided that it might be a good time to find a way out.
Whether Nick would give him an honest answer is another question !
Joe, do we know who’s taking over the Pirelli testing ? Pedro ?
I too think Schueys time is up.
If you follow the discussions in F1-Tech forums there is always a hardcore fanbase argueing this and that being the cause of “His Slowness”
But if you listen to the man himself after qualifying its quite often “I was slower than nico and we don’t know why”.
I will give him that he is (was?) at his best when driving a critical and twitchy car while the MGP has a understeering layout but constantly being behind on Rosberg is what closes the case for me.
I never reckoned Rosberg to be an class A driver like Hamilton, Alonso or Vettel. If i’m not mistaken Heidfeld should be able to match Rosbergs performance and Sutil would surpass him in the odd event.
I would absolutely agree that it’s astonishing for his age to be performing on the current level. But F1 is a sharks tank. No space for famous seat warmers… except for a seven times WC who drives for Mercedes and fulfills Norbert Haugs dream.
I guess they’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for another season.
Schumacher was pretty good at starts in 1994…or the car was any road up…
The most obvious explanation is that he is under-qualifying the car, and is only overtaking those slower cars around him.
Alternatively, presuming he did regularly make bad starts (and I’m not saying he did but let’s go with it for now) the ones that immediately spring to mind were a result of pressure at the end of championships. As good as he was, he made a lot of mistakes under pressure. That pressure just isn’t there any more.
I think if Michael wanted to go back racing he should have gone into DTM or the Le Mans Series. He’s too old to compete at the F1 level anymore. Maybe things may improve with the Pirellis and a car more suited to his driving style, but he’d still be slower than Rosberg or any other younger driver.
Phil J,
When I said Button admitted the car was built to suit him, I knew Button was talking about himself. He prefers an understeering car, which is what the Mercedes is and is the opposite of what Schumacher likes.
Schumi gifted? 7 world titles and 91 race wins answer that question.
Hard? Yes. Fair? No, but neither was Senna (Suzuka ’90).
1994 (questionable title won against a good driver in a far superior car).
1995 (same engine as Williams, no contest, Schuey all the way).
2000 (beat Hakkinen fair and square)
2001 (not his fault that Mika had one eye on retirement)
2002 (caused the FIA to change the rules)
2003 (fought off Kimi and Montoya, nobody else came close to his 6 wins)
2004 (rampage)
2005 (scuppered by Bridgestone)
2006 (a blown engine and a shredded rear tyre cost him the title, made a statement pass on Kimi and forced out by Ferrari).
And Augusto,
It was only the ’94 car that had the un-activated TC software on it. The 1995 car was completely clean.
Joe,
Ok Senna didn’t have time to slow down, but he lost to a 39 year old in 1992 (yes, in a much superior car) who probably should have been a tortoise given the downward trend in drivers’ ages.
Vinayak,
1992 was how many years ago? Times have changed, perhaps you should change with them…
a serious bet. 2012 chanmpion of the world michael schumacher.
Hi, this is Michael Schumacher. Please give me time to build the Mercedes Car, I never come on a team and start winning right ahead, remember Benetton and Ferrari days? It takes 3 years to build a car.
Being on the top ten is a big accomplishment, specially with these younger generation of drivers.
Michael,
Since when did you live in the Paris area?
dkfone – perhaps the reason Schumacher’s starts appear so much better is that he is starting much further down the grid.
I was seeing this coming for a long time, even when some were predicting that Schumacher would win the title this year! In fact, Schumacher’s Ferrari years have led to such a grave misconception being formed about him – that he is invincible.
I started watching F1 in 2000 and till 2004 I was forced to watch the same person winning the championship. Schumacher wasn’t without competition then – Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen did give him quite a challenge, but with Bridgestones tailor-made for Ferrari and favorable polemics within the Scuderia, Schumacher was always in the best car.
Michelin hadn’t quite got its act together and the Williams-BMW partnership was crumbling. McLaren weren’t fairing too well either and their cars were some way behind Ferrari in the development ladder.
Augusto Gaboldini’s point about illegal electronics in the championship winning Benetton years is something widely believed, with Senna himself suspecting it in 1994.
But what all this did is create an aura around Schumacher, an armour of invincibility particularly among those who began following F1 in the early-2000s. But I’m not taking anything away from Michael Schumacher. He is still one of the greatest Grand Prix drivers ever – but at least some ignorant people will realize now that he is after all human.
people who come out and say i new he werent that good or oh it was only the car that made him dominant are in dreamland look how he dominanted barrichello button couldnt do that to rubens and this is coming from a button fan and then compare button and hamilton and you get the result that shows that hamilton wouldnt have done that to rubens he is and always be the best of all time
whats hurt him is being out of the car for 3 years simple as that id like to see hamilton alonso vettel button leave for 3 years and then see how they do when they come back ofcourse you will lose alot of performace
“Give Michael Schumacher a faster car and you will see how really good he is.” – Malcolm.
And then put Rosberg in that same car and you will see how ordinary Schumacher has become.
Sorry, but Michael’s in the same equipment as Nico Rosberg and Rosberg is constantly handing Michael’s backside back to him. So give Michael (and Nico) a faster car and you will see the same thing……you will see Nico beat Schumacher……only he will be doing it faster!
There is no excuse that you could make up to disguise that fact.
When Berger and Alassi jumped into Schumachers car they won only one race between them. Schumacher on the other hand managed to win three races in a complete dog of a Ferrari in his first year! Did he take the TC with him…..no.
He WAS very very fast, now he is not so fast, but at least he’s not complaining and i bet he does not give a fig what any of us think.
I still maintain that there were plenty of good drivers back then.
The latest drivers could well all be super fast, but could also be equally average! Maybe thats why an “old boy” can almost keep up!
It just goes to show that you cant compare drivers from different eras in different cars.
Schumacher had he moment, it went on a long time and he was in a class of his own.
Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Niki Lauda were some of the greatest drivers ever, no doubt about it.
Nigel Mansell – Getting older and probably fatter but totally destroyed teammate Riccardo Patrese enroute to title, and then went to CART in 1994 and won a title there before winning the F1 season finale at Adelaide!
Alain Prost – retiring, coming back and winning the title, just in time before the lack of driver aids would make the Williams of 1994 a nervous car to handle – Senna proved it.
Niki Lauda – coming back from a sabbatical and still resisting intense pressure from a young Alain Prost to win the title by a whisker.
Schumacher’s return takes nothing away from his success, but it also throws light on the greatness of some of the other drivers who showed they were men and not boys.
PT,
I hate to be boring but Prost, Mansell and Lauda were all almost 20 years ago – and more.
I have to say that I do think Schumacher was a great driver. A Seven WDC winner has to be a great driver.
But the fact is that he is a driver with questionable morale, tactics etc. You cannot put him on par with Senna, Clark or Fangio (as a driver) and you can only say that Senna was a little bit like him (those who will claim that he crashed onto Prost to win the title have to remember that he did that as payback for exactly the same thing done by Prost to him the previous year, AND he said he was going to either come out first of that turn or no one would come out of it… He warned Prost in advance that it was payback time.
About Schumacher, I can say for example that his last race in Brasil after which he retired is a good example of how good a driver he was, hehad a fantastic race there as many other great races in his carreer. But to me, the fact is still that he had no problem in cheating (remember him parking his car in La Rascasse to avoid Alonso to beat his quali time for example?) or doing anything no matter how illegal or indecent it was. And there were faster drivers competing against him, Hakkinen is one IMHO (remember his pass on MS after Eau Rouge – one of the finest passes ever in F1 history IMHO too).
Re Michael Schumacher’s comment–
He was posting from Paris? Aha! Clearly he is meeting with the big Renault knobs about driving for them in 2011! having enlisted Raikonnen, who has no intention of leaving WRC but wants more money from Citroen, as a smokescreen. It all fits together, see? Clever, clever…
I find it strange that Schumacher’s fans think if he was given another year he is suddenly going to be faster. He has had almost a full season and is not any closer to Rosberg now than he was after not racing for three years. All the improvement that he is capable of has happened and the bottom line is he can’t live with Nico Rosberg. This is the same Nico Rosberg whose own father didn’t think he could take on Lewis Hamilton at McLaren so you have to question how good Rosberg really is.
Schumacher for the first time in nearly 20 years is equal number one in a team and the first driver given an equal chance to compete has blown him away.
Rosberg must have gone into this season worrying about how he would compare with Schumacher. This year he will have all winter to prepare knowing that he has Schumacher beaten and he is effectively the team’s number one driver. I don’t see the attraction to Schumacher being number two to anyone and particularly to a driver who is not the best on the grid.
Schumacher’s career was built on Ross Brawn working a fuel strategy to get him an empty piece of track where he could put in a series of fast laps and be in the lead when the final pit stops happened. That is not possible now. Now he has to race on track and he is no Lewis Hamilton at that.
Messy,
Who were the drivers during Schimacher’s career who were as good as Alonso or Hamilton?
[...] The future of Michael Schumacher The fans of Michael Schumacher may not like the idea, but there is increasing speculation in Formula 1 circles that the [...] [...]
I hope he stays for one more year and that I can see him in Montreal one last time
Thats would be the end of F1 for me 
Joe,
Maybe you should tell 34-year-old Webber and 30-year-old Button to keep up with the times. They’re the ones who risk jeopardizing the ‘trend’.
Vinayak,
We will see what happens at the end of the year.
Mercedes should give him Ralfie’s seat in DTM
Is not make any sense to me that Schumacher will quit Mercedes now or that Merc wants to sack him.
We know for a fact that he has a contract as a driver for 2011 and 2012.Beyond 2013 it will be a “new” formula and Schumacher will be to old i guess at that time as an driver.
But i also guess he and Merc still have plans for a relationship when he is not drive the car.What they will call him i don’t know,sporting director,team boss or anything?
About the drivers for the next two years,they also have Nico Rosberg,the first GP2-winner and still only 25-years old he have many years in front of him.To have him alongside Michael Schumacher some years before Schumi goes in a different role in the team make more sense to me than Merc and Schumi now split up for make way to Sutil or Nick.
If Michael does retire again I for one will miss him. His return has added spice to an already excellent season and I always look forward to his post race interviews; he still remains one of the most, if not the most, intelligent drivers out there. And these days he has a less serious more humorous / mischievous edge to him. Some of the other drivers could learn a lot in this regard!
@ Augusto Gabaldoni and PT- agreed wholeheartedly. PT, its was Senna who noted a different audio signature on MS car and then had it reported to the FIA stewards.
To those who defend him blindly, nothing has ever been mentioned as to whether his team-mate, JJ Lehto also had traction control. I doubt it had so one has to assume that as far back as 1994, MS had already got into his ways of better equipment, inferior team-mate and so forth..
So, is it really seven titles?? One has to ask….
Slightly off subject but linking to the article below this one.
Your comment about starting F1 rumours Joe. This article you have written about Michael Schumacher has become a “news” item on Planet-F1. I use the word news in inverted commas as they like to rehash stuff from other sites although to be fair, some of their comment pieces are very good. You are referred to as ‘respected F1 journalist Joe Saward’. At least they credit you for the piece…
The way I see it, MSc is one of the all-time greats. I see no point comparing across eras because for all practical purposes, F1 is practically a different discipline every 10-15 years – of what use is comparing a Fangio with a Jim Clark with a Senna? Each was a genius in his own right and in his own time, and let us celebrate them without belittling them with meaningless comparisons with drivers who essentially drove different cars. You might as well bring in rally car drivers and NASCAR champs into these comparisons to round out the picture.
Now I think it is fair to say that in his era, Schumacher stood heads and shoulders above the rest. The argument that he lacked a formidable set of rivals is purely tautological. Would we, for instance, say that this is one of the worst eras in terms of driving talent if Lewis Hamiltion was beating Vettel, Alonso, Button, Webber et al by ninety seconds in every GP? No, instead we ought to be celebrating the dominance of that genius, whatever his nationality or background. For all we know, the late 90s were one of the most talented eras: Villeneuve, Hakkinen, Montoya, Frentzen, Coulthard and so on. Perhaps the only reason we judge these individuals harshly is because Michael pretty much made them look pedestrian?
Schumacher has provided some of the most memorable moments in F1. He has dominated at Spa, Monaco and Suzuka on multiple occasions and in vastly different cars; has destroyed every single team-mate (look, if i am the head of a F1 team with a budget of several million dollars annually, i wouldn’t give a rat’s arse about the drivers’ reputations or past accomplishments or popular sentiment – i ll just back the best – and there is a reason why Schumacher was backed so heavily by all his teams over 16 years – so I just don’t get the team-mate not being allowed to race argument); successfully quelled challenges from generations of younger drivers (brit media in mid-90s: “meet the schumacher conqueror: coulthard!”; brit media at turn of century: “meet the schumacher conqueror and the next senna: montoya”; brit media in 03/04: “meet the schumacher conqueror: raikkonen”)…. we all know how it ended up.
Father Time appears to have caught up with him, thats all. There is no shame in that.
One other point: what mystifies me about his performance this year is the genuine lack of a pattern: struggled in the first 4 races; matched Nico at Barca, Monaco and Istanbul; had a couple of messy races at Canada and the Nurburging; fell way behind at Silverstone; caught up at Hockenheim; fell behind in Hungary; on the pace at Spa; and a depressing 3-10ths a lap slower at corner-light Monza. Joe, any thoughts? Is it just the tyres?
oh, one last thing: i retract the “all-time greats”. self-contradictory!
I love the idea of Benetton having “unused traction control” in 1994! They wouldn’t use it would they? If not why was it there? I remember Damon Hill saing he couldn’t understand how the Benetton was the only car on the grid which could swerve around at the start under full throttle without generating any wheelspin. As for the question “did Michael take traction control with him in 96?” The answer is no but that doesn’t mean Brawn or Byrne didn’t. I seem to remember a few questions being asked then as well.
In all the rubbishing of the great man’s championships nobody has mentioned the advantage Bridgestone had in the early part of the century. If everybody had the brilliant Bridgestone intermediate how many wet races would Schumacher have dominated? There dry weather tyres were pretty handy as well.
tim w,
The story of 1994 will one day come out.
Just read the “news” that Schumacher was testing a motorbike today in germany.
Let’s see if there’s a press statement following he had an accident ^^
But i still hope he’d be honest and simply admitted that he just wasn’t quick enough any more.
Howabout bringing it out Joe? Or do you still need your paddock pass for a few years yet…?
tim w
As I remember it, the TC software was on the car but the option to use it had been removed from the driver’s menu. The explanation offerred at the time was that Benetton did not want to risk upsetting the rest of their software on the car by removing the TC part of it.
Convinced?
Neither am I. Is this why it is often referred to as “Option 13″?
Joe
“The story of 1994 will one day come out.”
How much longer do we have to wait Joe? Some of us are getting on in years!
Martin,
Someone will spill the beans on the record one day… until they do, there are libel laws which require proof of everything written
Jayanth, I agree with you that F1 is a changing sport, and I would say that not every 15 years but maybe every time the rules are changed.
Still, even though comparisons are difficult to put in perspective, if you look for example at the percentage of races a driver won vs. the races in which a driver participated, or the percentage of races where a driver had the fastest lap or the best qualifying you will understand why I mentioned it. Fangio for exaple won something like 48 percent of all the F1 races he participated. Schumacher is around 23% and Senna around 26%. In pole positions, Senna also beats Schumacher if I am correct (It’s been a while since I did the numbers but the figures especially in Fangio’s and Clark’s cases where impressive.
Still, statistics don’t give you the whole picture. Add to them for example what his peers say / said about them and you can have a better perspective. Not one driver I’ve heard or read interviewed about Fangio thinks there was anyone better than Fangio for example. Most of Senna’s competitors agree that Ayrton was in a class of his own (watch Brundle’s comments for example on the Senna history video, or listen to John Watson who said that when he saw Senna coming towards him in his mirrors during one race, he realized that his racing career was over, as Senna was so inmensly faster than him and everybody else that he knew there was no way to beat him).
In contrast, find me 5 of Schumacher’s competitors that will put a good word about Schumacher’s fairness or honest tactics for example. Find me a group of ex F1 drivers that will say that Schumacher was faster than everybody else regardless of the car…
Still, I’ve said before that I do believe Schumacher WAS a great driver, very fast (but not the fastest – Mikka was faster) and quite complete – he pushed Ferrari into becoming again a well oiled machine. He guided them into developing a car suited to his style and thru that, he gave Ferrari 5 consecutive championships.
But now, it’s time for him to retire. He’s gotten old and slow.
Joe,
I couldn’t agree more with your comment on the old neck injury being a possible excuse for an early retirement. I said exacty that to a good friend of mine after the second race this season. it wouldn’t surprise me if MS used such an excues or even go thru the trouble of crashing his car and claiming that his injury had resurfaced due to it!
[...] Zukunft“, durchs Netz und durch den Blätterwald. Sogar ehrenwerte Journalisten wie Joe Saward und das Fachblatt Autosport berichten über ein Kommen und Gehen diverser Piloten im Mercedes [...]
Martin
I can’t say I was convinced by this explanation either why have it in the first place and why risk disqualification by leaving it on the system if it is not to be used? I’m sure they had boffins more than capable of removing it without corrupting the remaining data.
Joe
Be careful what you say! By saying that “someone will spill the beans” you are making a tacit admission that you believe the story to be true and therefore could end up in front of the hon. Justice Eady getting sued for millions!
Yes, but would anyone want to hear all the things that might come out in court and be reported from the case – even if in the end the law was upheld?
An interesting question
Joe
Understood, the bit about libel laws that is, but it’s so frustrating.
Any article of the great Schumacher generates the most number of comments from posters. Seven titles and all the records Michael had , were, are, and will be the best driver in Formula 1 history. It does not matter if he wins any race in these three years. Like it or not haters. Schumacher’s enthusiasm, commitment, knowledge and determination remain as sharp as ever but the whole racing package is not at its previous peak. Michael gets slated the most, its all out of jealousy especially from the Brits and British media. Clearly the team don’t have the car to even begin to think about fighting to win. Strategy does not even come into it. The speed just isn’t there. Progress is being made. 2011 will be a competitive year with the assurance the new car blends correctly and on the right track.
Boy, people are generous. When MSC performed poorly in the beginning of the season, people said, let’s wait until the European races, then we can judge him. Then, it was- let’s wait until the season’s mid-point, then we can judge him. Some are now saying let’s wait to see how he does on the Pirellis? Give me a break. The guy had his chance in an above average car capable of scoring podiums and Rosberg kicked his tookus.
Aileen
“Any article of the great Schumacher generates the most number of comments from posters”
Why are you surprised about this? Seven titles and ninety one wins, he has history, some of it is controversial, very controversial.
” Michael ….. will be the best driver in Formula 1 history”.
Many others have pointed out that it’s not just about numbers, it’s also about who you beat. Hakkinen – eventually, Montoya – occasionally brilliant but ultimately a disappointment, Raikkonen – McLaren rarely provided a car consistently good enough, anyone else?
Augusto Gabaldoni makes an interesting point too about a driver’s peers and their thoughts. Augusto might have mentioned Stirling Moss in this context too, and he never won a WDC, but his peers acknowledged that Moss was the quickest.
Schumacher did a fantastic job of moulding a team around him, which meant he never had to beat his team-mate. He was certainly quick enough when he needed to be.
What seems fairly certain now is that he is regularly beaten by another German driver who is not that highly rated. Perhaps that should change, how we rate Rosberg that is.
Final point, whatever makes you think that, “…Brits and British media…” are jealous of him?
Augusto Gabaldoni,
I was more or less with you until you talked about Schumacher being a complete driver. He was and is anything but. He was a one trick pony who could drive fast on an empty track. All the stuff off the track like team building etc he was really good but in a race he was fast on an empty track. He was hopeless in traffic and easily pressured into a mistake.
Aileen Bodiwala,
I love the blind faith of the schumacher fans. The greatest driver of all time? Not even close. Just out of curiosity can you tell us who your top 10 are because I want to know who you are comparing him to.
It doesn’t matter what the 2011 Mercedes is like because Nico Rosberg is faster than him.
Michael does not get slated because of jealousy. He gets slated because he is a cheat and behaves like a thug on a race track. There are many other drivers that I am more jealous of and given the choice of having Schumacher’s career or that of many other drivers I would almost always choose another’s because I think any driver who puts another driver’s life at risk is beyond contempt.
[...] also are rumblings that Michael Schumacher may pull the plug on his ill-fated comeback attempt after this season and hang up his helmet. So the ego really has landed? I’ll believe [...]
Steven roy,
schumi is no hamilton.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
You are really funny
No hamilton
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Long story short. Michael is doing what he loves to do. 3 years absence and you expect what? win the Championship straight away. Give up because he hasn’t, Become a team principle, complete garbage.F1 was in hibernation for three years. This year you find drivers motivated with Schumacher’s return. Ticket sales have gone up. He is the top of the line driver making judgment calls at a speed in a space most of us cannot conceive. It is always an honor to watch. Which I am sure you will agree with me, you did enjoy the most then.
It is the absolute pinnacle of Motor sport played by the most experience F1 Pilot. You may call it a dangerous driving. But yet he killed none Genius is talent set on fire by courage. Now you may say he drove fast on an empty track. With guys like you watching and enjoying every race.! I am sure you know, Tens of thousands of bones will become ashes when one general achieves his fame. Lastly If you have no critics you’ll likely have no success. We need guys like you on any forums. Yes he does have more Fans in the UK and they have problem with BBC F1 TV. I enjoy the best commentary from Speed.comF1TV guys who respects all F1 drivers on the grid. Michael is the spice and life of F1 sports.
Aileen,
It is not a question of respect. It is a question of realities. Drivers in F1 are all worthy of respect, but they are judged harshly by the industry. If they do not perform, they are dumped. Ask Pedro de la Rosa. Michael Schumacher was a great champion once. This year he looks very average. No-one cares why this has happened (except perhaps Michael and his team). One can speculate that he is too old or whatever, it does not matter. The results are all that matter. It is no good saying things will be better next year, and abusing those who question his results. This is what F1 is. It is a piranha club and those who do not swim fast enough are gobbled up and spat out. Of all the drivers in F1, Michael Schumacher knows this. He was once the biggest shark in the tank. Now he is not.
I wonder if any one of you have or will ever achieve what he has for 41 years. Ii is easy to sit on that chair and move your fingers on the key board. I am sure at least not in this century will any F1 driver get a seven time Title. No matter what it takes to win. He has that seven colors of rainbow in his bag. Official on record the best Pilot of this century Michael Schumacher. 7 times World Champion. A living Legend.
Aileen,
Oh dear. Instead of trying to be rude about me, saying that it is easy to do what I do, why can you not simply accept the realities of Formula 1. If it was so easy to move fingers up and down a keyboard, then half the world would do it, wouldn’t they? it is a nice job. The problem with your argument is not this. The problem is that if half the world were F1 journalists then they would all be typing the same message, which is being whispered behind closed doors in F1 circles: Michael Schumacher is past it. I am sorry if that hurts your feelings, but that is what is being said. I am not making this up. He may be all the wonderful things that you say he is, but that is not what is important. That was yesterday. Today he is being beaten all the time by Nico Rosberg. If you care about Michael, write in and tell him to retire, because he is simply damaging the legend that you hold so dear. Don’t snipe at the messenger…
The reality is Schumacher is enjoying what he loves to. Why can’t he have the right to race? What has he got to lose? Why are you just pushing him out. Its the team and the sponsors to break their heads why mine? Do you feel on top of the hill ? You say “he was once a shark” well a shark is always a shark no matter which tank you put him. But when he attacks…it will be a Global upheaval. Thanks to schumacher for the time.
Hi! Joe,
A man’s conversation is the mirror of his thoughts. Michael be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only by standing still. You have loyal fans, around the world, and I watch F1 only because of you. Do what you love to do. No matter how tall the mountain, it cannot block out the sun. So whispering behind closed doors, does not matter to you. Enjoy and have fun and love your life. Why am I being advised to tell you to retire. Now I see the reason, many are trying to push you off, afraid of damaging your legend. Since when have people taken charge of your life? Your quote “Don’t snipe at the messenger.” unquote. I love to snipe at close range.
It comes down to how good you think
Rosberg is doesn’t it? Over the season Michael has shown himself to be not quite on Nico’s pace but not that far behind, even in front a few times. If you think that Rosberg is a real superstar then this puts the 2010 Schumacher in the mid rank of drivers along with Massa, Heidfeld, Rubens and co. This is not too bad and you may say that his increased promotional value should keep him the seat. If however you think that Rosberg is a mid rank driver himself then this drops Schumacher into the lower rank of F1 drivers and this means he should go.
The problem for Mercedes is if they replace him with Sutil then they will incurr the wrath of a huge number of loyal MS fans who will bombard their internet site with abuse for years! If Adrian then also struggles to match Nico it will all have been for nothing.
I think the team are in a very difficult situation and should wait untill Michael makes the decision for them, after all they are not fighting for the championship so don’t have any real pressing need to upset the apple cart.
I love your comments Aileen Bodiwala. I don’t care what anybody says about Schumi, to become 7 times F1 World champion is a great achievement. You only achieved that thru hard work, determination and the love of the sport, and Schumi did that all. I am proud of you Schumi!! Not only in F1 but also in other motor racing. Karting is one of them. Last year with the Race of Champions he came 2nd and 1st with Vettal in the group race, for the last 3 years. What happened to the other “so call” F1 drivers like Button last year in the race of champions. People are jeolous! Some of the British and BBC press are always cry babies!! We as South Africans now them by know especially when we play rugby or cricket against them and beat them fare and square. They cannot handle it. In the Soccer World Cup they also had bad comments about South Africa, that we will not be able to hold the Soccer World Cup. We did it in style!! We should feel sorry for the poor pommies!! Shame on you!
Martin Collyer,
Yes, I could and should have mentioned Sir Stirling, on of the greates drivers ever and regarded as a Gentleman’s Gentleman (one honor Schu will never have). I just did not mention him as I just wanted to point a few names, top in my list (as drivers – Sir Stirling and Fangio top my Gentlema’s list). I could have mentioned many others too like Gilles (one of my all time F1 heroes), Ronnie, Emerson, Niki, Jackie and so many others. I just chose those that came top in my list.
Steven Roy,
I have to agree with you. He was not that good in traffic but still that was not a constant for him either. If you see his retirement final race at Brasil, He passed almost everyone in the field from the back, I honestly think that is a good example of one of Michael’s different versions… The one where MS is a great driver passing everyone he can without forcing them out of the track. Yes, there are other Michael Schumachers out there, the one parking at Rascasse, the one being unfair at blocking Mikka at Spa and being blown away by Mikka’s genius and courage etc. There are many different Michael Schumachers out there in the history of F1, the good, the bad and the ugly (I’m not trying to imply he has some kind of multiple personality disorder nor trying to excuse some of the ugly or the bad, just trying to put into perspective a complex and controversial driver, that is difficult to analyze without passion getting in the way of reason).
Aileen,
A good analysis requires one to be impartial. I see only fanatism in your comments and no impartial analysis and criticism. I have to say that I am not a Schumi fan due to his lack of morale BUT I believe that everything I’ve expresed here has been as impartial as possible. I criticize his unfairness and ruthlessnes and I praise his successes. I see no impartial analysis on your part.
I also see an unfair attack to Joe and others who do not have MS on top of an altar. We are gathered here around a great blog which gives us a great insight on F1. Your criticism to those who express their opinion is unfair and unacceptable.
Joe,
“Michael Schumacher is past it” I could not agree more with you and all those who say it. I also agree with all your views expressed in this article and regard them as impartial, fair and unbiased. Thanks!
Augusto Gabaldoni,
A comment in particularly is not specified whether it should be partial or impartial. The subject is about one single person. Since you are not a Schumi fan, why make a rude statement and see only fanaticism. You see him a good the bad and the ugly. Yes and you say it is difficult to analyze without passion getting in the way of reason. What does that mean? You have answered the question you put to me. We all have gathered on this blog specifically talking about Michael Schumacher if you read the contents what Joe put up.- I am here to give my views. Anyway you have right to criticize his unfairness and ruthlessness. But you praise his successes. That is a good judgment. One last word .”Michael Schumacher is past it” yes I agree but not “has” past it. He is still racing and come back when you feel you are a fan of Schumacher. I love Joe’s blog because he knows what he is talking about.
Digging old graves, is very pathetic. During his F1 reign why was this topic not important. Suddenly you find after three years, when the return of the seven appears, slowly one character appears digging graves. It looks like the decomposed waste material within you could not be digested, and are vomiting out of spite. There are very strong and intelligent fans who can speak volumes on the subject of Michael Schumacher good or bad but none will cry and complain and try to stop any one’s views. I have not offended or abused anyone. I am going with the flow of the subject. Calling me a fanatic just shows the weak character. I write on many blogs but none act as a monopoly system.. I read Joe’s introduction and remarks about Michael and thought of sharing my views. Read the first sentence, “all Schumi’s fans may not like the idea.” Well I did not like the idea and so you got to take it.
Aileen,
You expressed your opinion, I have allowed you to do that. This post is offensive – but I am happy to publish it to show the other readers just what a strange attitude you have. Up to now I have been polite enough not to say that I think your opinion is rubbish. I will leave you to worship the great god Schumacher. I fear that he may disappoint you.
Hi! Joe,
Thank you so much. That’s the reason I like your blog. We meet the unknown and express our views and thoughts. I enjoy reading all comments. Thanks once again.
there really are some nutters out there!
I think the point is whether you love himor not you have to respect a man who has won SEVEN WORLD championships, not seven races but seven championships. He did that with cars that were built around him and slowly improved using precise information he supplied to his team. He can race in dry or wet conditions and is focused totally, this years car was set up for button and despite efforts to improve it the teams focus from before midseason was on next years car. Why do people offer such ignorant,foolish views about people they dont know,you only see a little of him when the fickle press talk to him. If you dont like him watch alonso or webber , I admire all the drivers on the F1 grid. they are all worthy of full respect because they have achieved the top of their game. I want Schuey to stay and drive for the next two seasons and through dignity ,brilliance and in awe silence the idiots who offer such stupid opinion from their armchairs !
Respect also to Aileen B, long drive Schumacher ! x
charlottekonu,
Long drive? Well it was longer than others because he finished behind them…
Joe, I am enlightened by what you say and I have a couple of things to add to Michael’s fall from grace. After he lost Monza, so did he lose over 13,000 fans on his three official facebook pages when one day we were there and the next we weren’t. My take on that is he not only lost face with his comeback but also felt like he had let his fans down. So he dissed us all. It was a huge mistake to leave Ferrari and go with Mercedes in the first place and in the second place, he left it too late to retire and stage a comeback. I have a lot of admiration for his driving prowess but not for what he did to us, his loyal and staunch supporters who couldn’t have cared less whether he kept losing, just that he was in there still giving it a go. I find that hugely disappointing because he was so interactive with us and then one day, poof, we are all gone. He is humiliated in defeat, yes – but the same people who supported his successes were the same ones who also supported his failures. I think probably he will make the right choice and bow out permanently since it is blatantly clear he has lost his edge. It is a fact of life that the new blood will take over, no denying that. But too late for all the pertained excuses from the German camp when he put it all over his facebook pages about his personal take on his losses. Guess he just got sick of doing that. What a shame.