Schumi's billion-dollar BMW farewell.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by chunterer

We shouldn't be surprised by anything, remember Irvine going to Ferrari, Button joining Williams, Mansell joining McLaren.....Montoya going to NASCAR!!!!

True. But I do think that Schumacher, on the cusp of retirement, moving to BMW for $1BN in one year is beyond even the wildest of surprises. The reason why is very simple. A $1BN expense of this nature makes no commercial sense for whatsover BMW.

[Knowlesy]

I just do not see where this $1 billion will come from.

Originally Posted by F1 Racing

Michael would be paid a retainer of $100 million (plus gigantic bonuses in respect of merchandising, product endorsement and so on which could, in theory, boost that figure 10-fold.

I can just imagine Mario Theissen approaching the BMW board one day. "Look guys, in 2008 I want Michael Schumacher on board. Now I don't know what competitive state the team will be in, nor do I have the slightest idea what the situation will be with F1 by then, but let's throw our entire company budget for the next century at this one guy for no apparent reason."

It just will not happen.

However, the article gets worse.

Originally Posted by F1 Racing

A further incentive would be freedom to bring with him from Ferrari whomever he liked.

Call me a cynic, but just what use will it be to take Ferrari personnel to BMW with him if he is spending just one year there? What will they do, build him a tailor made car in five minutes? Buy customer Ferrari's? Hell, they won't even have finished gardening leave by the time Schuey had finished his "farewell season"!

This is the worst, most fanciful, ill advised piece of tabloid journalism I have ever read.

[DavidStHubbins]

Originally Posted by Dutton

Indeed.

F1 Racing has been in a constant decline for some years now.

F1 Racing is the most homoerotic magazine I have ever read - and I don't think I've ever read anything homoerotic before...

Toe-curlingly sychopantic and at the same time as two-faced as a gossipy hairdresser on speed. I can't stand that magazine. Embarrassing. Is it Matt Bishop who is at the helm? What an odious creature - one month he loves someone and the next they are rubbish. The moment you open the magazine the hot air blasts into your face. Thumbs down.


To the topic - I doubt Schumacher would go to any team that didn't have a winning car at this stage in his career. But anything can happen in this sport so who knows.

[Knowlesy]

Yes, Matt Bishop is at the helm.

Time was you used to get an "editors letter" as a subscriber, where he would tell you what expensive wine he was drinking and the fact he was drinking it in some billion pound French Chateau, eating rare steak that cost £3,000. Probably on his own.

Thankfully these letters have stopped.

[VilleneuveTracy]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Just think of the PR value of having a WDC in your car ... oh wait ... never mind.

Yes, just ask Intel.

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Yes, Matt Bishop is at the helm.

Time was you used to get an "editors letter" as a subscriber, where he would tell you what expensive wine he was drinking and the fact he was drinking it in some billion pound French Chateau, eating rare steak that cost £3,000. Probably on his own.

Thankfully these letters have stopped.

In particular:

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Thankfully these letters have stopped.

Not quite.

Now they form a page of the magazine itself. For our permament "enjoyment".

It seems we all creamed ourselves over the editor's letter, and were all sad that it was hard to keep them in mint condition for eternity in our safes.

The kind fellows thus decided to make it a full-on page of the magazine.

[Knowlesy]

I don't get this full page thingy! Yes, you can feel my dissapointment!

There is the editors notes after the contents pages.....but they were always there. Still pure drivel.

[Dutton]

Well, maybe it is different for the North American version.

If I can ever be bothered, which is doubtful, then I will scan a couple of examples of what I mean.

I am pretty sure you will have it (assuming you are still a subscriber?).

F1 Racing's "The Long Interview" is a respectable enough feature. They get close to relevance (sometimes).

*******

Edit: I probably won't scan a couple of pages, in fact, as it is would probably breach copyright stuff. Can a mod confirm this?

[Knowlesy]

I do like the long interviews. With the right subject, they make fascinating reading.

Hence my subscription remains. Just.

[Dutton]

Is it me, or has the magazine reduced its use of "natch" lately?

Either it has, or I have been blocking it out in an act of base self-preservation.

The same with their over-use of explanatory square brackets [things like this, to explain what was meant by the preceding sentence, no matter how obvious].

The "natch" this and "natch" that drives me crazy [though not in a literal sense, natch].

[Knowlesy]

It has reduced enormously. The word 'mega' is still used a lot [mega: a word].

[Dutton]

[word: a sound, or a combination of sounds, or its representation in writing, printing, or sign, which symbolizes, and communicates, a meaning, and may consist of a single morpheme or combination of morphemes.]

[Boliath]

Originally Posted by Dutton

[word: a sound, or a combination of sounds, or its representation in writing, printing, or sign, which symbolizes, and communicates, a meaning, and may consist of a single morpheme or combination of morphemes.]

Out of context reply. Hey Yo Don Duttoni!

[Dutton]

Oh, my, hello-hah Bol!

I have been wondering over the months and years if you would set foot in our midst.

Great to see you aboard!

Welcome.