When should Michael Schumacher retire?

[beau1]

Originally Posted by ghinzani

Thats better, but to be fair to Damon he didnt know that TGC's car was mortally wounded therefore Im not sure he can take any of the blame. Its like blaming the Polish for being invaded in 1939 because they were in the way.

Nah, Poland was split with the Soviets and neither Petrov nor Kubica was in the race so they can't be compared.
But more seriously...it was do or die by Damon, Hero or Zero so I can understand why he went for it but at the same time, I think any driver in the world would have closed the door, including Damon himself.
Its certainly not as clear cut as Jerez 97' in any case.

[ralf fan]

I know I said this on the last page but I think I should say it again. MS is a buffoon, idiotic, arrogant and these days doesn't even back it up results.

Idiot. And I don't know how anyone who saw that can defend him. Gave him room my a***

[Tourer]

I'm so with Brundle on this one. I'd hoped that Michael coming back might see him performing in a more sporting way as he showed us some of his skill but hopefully without some of the antisocial and/or dangerous on track behaviour. A genuine elder statesman like role including some race wins if the car was up to it.

Unfortunately, it appears that the car isn't up to it, that Michael is struggling to distance himself from Nico and of late is getting back into some really nasty habits - that swerve on Rubens really was out of order.

I'm neither a Michael lover nor a hater - in my view his record will always be questionable based on the opposition (or lack of it) at times and the tail gunner teammates.

Now we have him in arguably the greatest depth of talent in F1 since the mid 80s - he is going to have to lift himself mightily to get on par with them and if he did so he'd (rightly) deserve respect. He ain't going to get respect in his current racing career if he stoops to efforts like Sunday's as a matter of course.

Bloody shame really.

[Andrew2001]

This takes me back a few years, back to the days when he was the last driver I wanted to see win....Seeing him come back was exciting, but in a flash, his old ways are back as well. So I hope he vanishes without a trace at the end of this year. His name and reputation are in utter tatters. He is not the hero he once was, which as someone else mentioned, points to all the success he had, he doesn't have a rear gunner now, and things aren't going his way. Rosberg has him sewn up completely.

Unbelievable...

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by beau1

Nah, Poland was split with the Soviets and neither Petrov nor Kubica was in the race so they can't be compared.
But more seriously...it was do or die by Damon, Hero or Zero so I can understand why he went for it but at the same time, I think any driver in the world would have closed the door, including Damon himself.
Its certainly not as clear cut as Jerez 97' in any case.

I think you need to see the difference between closing the door and purposely driving into someone.

The onboard footage from TGF's car that day is particularly damning. Looking in the mirror... Waiting.... Waiting..... Mirror again.... Damon is beside me, turn right!

And, same as today, the daft and inadequate explanations. "My car was handling funny."

A leopard, truly, never changes its spots.

[ljakse]

I will never understand how can people still defend TGF...

[Bluewolf]

He's just too old -- plain and simple.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Bluewolf

He's just too old -- plain and simple.

I don't think that age has anything to do with it. Barrichello is only a year younger I think, and has not been 'slow' this season.

I think TGF is missing testing. He's probably the greatest test driver of all time!

[old man]

Originally Posted by Marbot

I think TGF is missing testing. He's probably the greatest test driver of all time!

I agree that the testing available to him allowed the dominance that we saw and I tend to agree with Tourer above. We see great drivers in their era as they do the best job in the circumstances prevailing. I always rated Moss as the ultimate because of his ability to win in any sector of the sport, Fangio did not quite have the same flexibility at the time I thought but he was about 20 years older than Moss.

So with Schumacher, great, the best, in a time when budgets and testing and lots of other things were unlimited he had the best technical and management team and firm team #1 status.

We will never know how the drivers in each era would compare and the comparison now between Schumacher and Barrichello is interesting but Barrichello has the continuity. However if Schumacher was the really great man many believe surely he would have adapted better than he has?

My good lady was always a "Michael" fan, loved to see him win for the sheer joy he exuded but is now saying his return was a major mistake, for my part I always found him rather arrogant and unsporting and yesterday epitomised that attitude, I felt it was personal as well.

[JimW]

When should Michael Schumacher retire?

Last Thursday.

Jim

[Born Racer]

You have to rate Niki Lauda for coming back after years away and winning a world championship. People don't mention Lauda in the same breath as Schumacher, but he's under-rated when talking about some of the best F1 drivers ever. I watched a series on ESPN Classic summarising most of the 1970s F1 seasons (with lots of footage I'd never seen before), and it struck me how he was usually well up there. If he wasn't running, he was often in with a chance (and remember how many mechanical failures there were then of course). He came back and did well. Schumacher, whom many had considered perhaps the greatest area, is clearly demonstrating that he's not.

[Gaz170]

Retire????

What he did should see him banned!

[strider]

Originally Posted by Gaz170

Retire????

What he did should see him banned!

That's also my view. Of all the incidents in which he has been involved this was the worst because it could have had fatal consequences

[Super Hans]

It was almost identical to the move made on Hakkinen at Spa and to those made on Kubica and Massa in Canada earlier this year. Though on this occasion it was worse as they were running so close to the wall.

[Knowlesy]

I just don't get how people can defend it.

Watching it live it was scary and you held your breath. Repeated watchings and it looks worse still.

It was callous, overly aggressive, downright irresponsible behaviour. People saying it was within the rules as they are written and that, because nothing bad happened, it was perfectly OK and probably a perfect judgement are either a bit thick or need to stop smoking crack.

[Peter Mallett]

Come on Knowlesy get off the fence and tell us what you really feel.

Someone mentioned ethics in another thread. The rules are there to support ethics, they shouldn't be there to provide a boundary limit. That's why this, the Ferrari thing and similar get up one's nose. There's a vast diference between "firm but fair" and intimidation.

Anyway in answer to the thread title I think I postulated on his return announcement that he shouldn't. Seems I was right.

[Super Hans]

Alonso gains a place by going off-track - PENALTY. Rubens gains a place by going off-track - NOTHING. The anti-Ferrari bias on display is DISGUSTING.

[ralf fan]

Originally Posted by Super Hans

Alonso gains a place by going off-track - PENALTY. Rubens gains a place by going off-track - NOTHING. The anti-Ferrari bias on display is DISGUSTING.

[jab]

In other news, hell just froze over

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by Super Hans

Alonso gains a place by going off-track - PENALTY. Rubens gains a place by going off-track - NOTHING. The anti-Ferrari bias on display is DISGUSTING.

At least someone's noticed that Rubens was forced fully off the track, most posters here seem to be ignoring the fact that Schumacher is saying that he gave Rubens a cars width of space when in fact he forced him completely off the track.

I was always under the impression that once a car was alongside you on the straight the issue would be decided in the braking zone and the corner, I was not aware that it was acceptable to move over on a car alongside you and force them to go four wheels off. In this case the proximity of the wall, the high speed and the fact that it was on the start finish straight between the pit area full of team personel and officials on one side and thousands of spectators on the other made it an absurdly dangerous thing to do, it wouldn't have been just Rubens life at risk if it had gone badly. If I was running Mercedes (not motorsport but the whole company) I'd be demanding the removal of the man from the car with my badge on it before the next race especially with the history they have.

I don't expect JAB to agree but at least I've stated my point of view.

[jab]

I can't argue with the man himself

In the words of Duncan Bannatyne, I'm out

[Belatti]

Q: When should Michael Schumacher retire?

A: NOW!

[Belatti]

Originally Posted by Belatti

Q: When should Michael Schumacher retire?

A: NOW!

May I regret? Thanks!

Q: When should Michael Schumacher retire?

A: in 2006

[fourWheelDrift]

It seems that even TGF realises he went too far:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/8878400.stm

He says:

"Immediately after the race yesterday I was still in the heat of it all, but after I looked again at the situation with Rubens I have to say that the stewards were correct with their judgement."

Sorry JAB just realised this is much the same as your link above.

[strider]

Originally Posted by jab

I can't argue with the man himself

In the words of Duncan Bannatyne, I'm out

I wouldn't feel too bad. TGF is only reacting to what he now realises is a tidal wave of public opinion. Nothing else would drag an apology from him.