Another one from Ralf...

[Speed]

Is ITV-F1 a serious source ?

http://www.itv-f1.com/news/news_story/11800
"You, they, the British press are very anti-Schumacher - anti-Michael and anti-me. Okay, maybe not all of you - but most."
"Maybe you're all frustrated that you haven't got a real champion to get excited about."
"Look, I don't want it to sound arrogant but I'm German. And German journalists will always be more important to me than any other journalists."

[Inigo Montoya]

Sounds pretty accurate to me. The British press does hate the Schumachers.

[Jukebox]

Spot on! and don't forget the race commentators...biased as ever!

Time for the Schumachers to voice out their dissatisfactions. Totally agree with Ralf.

[f1manoz]

Who cares? Most drivers don't get along with someone. Get over it.

[Valve Bounce]

I think there are certain things pertaining to racial issues that are best not to discuss with the media. It is not whether it is correct or otherwise to make these comments, it is the way the media tends to put these remarks into a different context to embarass the interviewee. I think Ralf has a lot to learn from his brother concerning the need to be wary of the media.
For instance, let's say that the editor says that the quote is too long, and he wants to cut some of it out like this:

"Look, I don't want it to sound arrogant but I'm German." "Maybe you're all frustrated that you haven't got a real champion to get excited about."

Nothing wrong with that quote, because that's what Ralf said. Sounds bad, doesn't it.
This could quite easily end up on the back page of a tabloid, with the Headline SCHUMACHER SHOWS HE IS A RACIST"

There is a real need for Ralf to attend some Media classes to learn how to deal with the media. As for me, I had one rule: never discuss anything with the media if I can avoid it. If not, praise everything I could think of that is pertinent.

Valve[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bouncy.gif[/img]

[Hugh Jarce]

I think he's probably right on what he says - but does he realise what he is implying by the statement:

"Look, I don't want it to sound arrogant but I'm German."

I reckon only a German could get away with a line like that.

[DavidStHubbins]

Ralf has a point, remember all the headlines in the english papers about beating the hun in the world cup and the Euro 2000 or whatever... Its shameless and sad. Schuey M has always got a raw deal in the english gutter press and it used to make cringey and embarrassing reading. The english press sucks!

On a different subject i saw the front page of a london paper that had been bought here to oz and at the top it has "Tim fails his fans again" referring to Henman at Wimbledon. Thats really horrible! What ever happened to a bit of patriotism?

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Jukebox
Spot on! and don't forget the race commentators...biased as ever!

Do you listen to british commentry Juke? Martin Brundle, James Allan, Murray Walker, John Watson, Ben Edwards, Damon Hill, i could go on, but all six are British commentators on ITV/SKY who i've listened to blowing sunshine up TGF's A*se! Admittidly they haven't so much about Rafe, but then he hasn't, and is never likely to match the levels of success of his brother.

To say that British commentators are biased against the Schumacher brothers is naivity in the extreme!

[Mr V]

Originally posted by DavidStHubbins
Schuey M has always got a raw deal in the english gutter press

Whilst not sounding like i'm trying to defend the British press (your right, they do suck mostly) but it's worth remembering that "Schuey M" cheated a British driver out of a WDC (or that was how it was percieved in this country before this sparks off another row!) and that caused bad publicity, very much the way Maradonna" will always get bad publicity due to the 1986 "hand of god" incident. It's also worth pointing out that people such as PELE never have a bad thing written about them in the British press, know why? because the never sparked off controversy or did something (bad) to bring themselves bad press.

One other thing, if you believe that the Schumacher brothers get bad press in this country "Because their German" you ought to read whats written about DC, Eddie, Jenson, Damon, Nigel etc, all British drivers who have it far worse than anyother driver out there!

[Jukebox]

I do get itv commentary from my satellite tv mr v....true i don't hear much about Ralf but most of it is towards Michael. Ralf was pointing towards the sports journalist.

I'm not trying to start anything here mr v, come on you must know me enough to know that i'm not being sarcastic towards your country.

I'm simply agreeing to what Ralf have said, about the journalist and a few race commentators that's all.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Jukebox

I'm not trying to start anything here mr v, come on you must know me enough to know that i'm not being sarcastic towards your country.

I know thats not the case Juke, and maybe i've taken your quote out of context, if so i apologize, but i thought that you were saying that British commentators were all "Anti-TGF/Rafe" sorry if i misunderstood!

[Inigo Montoya]

While we're on the subject of British media/commentators - surely there MUST be someone in Britain that can take the place of James Allen. He is pathetic - so bad, in fact, that I prefer listening to an American mispronounce European names on the Speed channel.

[Sato san]

Murrays favorite driver is TGF....what he going on about .

[Ralf's Girl]

Of course the British press hate German sportsmen - it's blatantly obvious by the way they're still wittering on about World Cup 1966 (apparently England beat Germany, but we don't talk about it much :rolleyes ).

Perhaps you'd like to purchase a copy of the new F1 Racing - there you can read some REAL journalism. Although Ralf did make the comments in the ITV-F1 article, he did not launch a "scathing attack" or accuse the press of a "vendetta" or being "rabidly anti-Schumacher". As usual, ITV have decided to over-dramatise everything in an attempt to make it scandalous.

There is a reason why I don't buy The Sun, and whenever I read ITV-F1 articles, I'm reminded what it is...

[f1manoz]

England didn't beat Germany in 1966. We were robbed!

It WASN'T a goal!!!!

[Jukebox]

Originally posted by mr v


I know thats not the case Juke, and maybe i've taken your quote out of context, if so i apologize, but i thought that you were saying that British commentators were all "Anti-TGF/Rafe" sorry if i misunderstood!

I'm sorry too for not being sensitive, i should have refrain myself from posting my thoughts as to not instigate any unwanted thoughts.

I have high regards for England as i spent 4 years there for my degree and i have many friends there whom i'm still in contact with up till now.

[neilap]

RS realizes that he is in the public eye. He gets off on the controversy. That is his problem. The things he says are borderline moronic. Who cares if he is German? What if Sato says the media says negative things about him because he is Oriental? People will think he is being dramatic. Heaven forbid there being a black guy racing and he says that the media disses him because of his race. He would be scrutinized and shunned and called a trifling melodramatic.
As usual RS shows no respect for any British fans that he might have by just lumping them into on bundle. More than anything its his attitude that causes me to dislike the man. He needs a reality check. Sometime in his life he must have been told that he is better than other people, because now he seems completely convinced.

[senna12]

Originally posted by Jukebox


i should have refrain myself from posting my thoughts as to not instigate any unwanted thoughts.

Sheesh!! If you do that, we'll never hear from you again!!

Ralf absolutely hates the media. He made this perfectly clear during a Canadian TV interview during the GP here.
He tried to appear pleasant, but it was very obvious how he felt, since the first thing out of his mouth was basically "I don't want to be doing this."

So in a way, he brings on the tough questions and criticisms because of his attitude. If he were more media savvy, or cared about it at all, and cultivated a few frienships here and there, writers might cut him some slack. If not, he must be prepared to face the music.

What is he like for sponsor committments?

[Jukebox]

Originally posted by senna12
Sheesh!! If you do that, we'll never hear from you again!!

Don't worry, i'd still be as vocal as i always am if anyone downgrades Michael or Ferrari. Appreciate the nice gesture senna12

[neilap]

A part of being a public figure is the press. No one is in a good mood all the time so if once in awhile he has an off day I would not hold it against him. If he does not want to be in the public eye then he should quit and become a carpenter or something like that. There is no excuse for insulting people in the way he does repeatedly. Him liking the new track in Germany was the first time that I have ever read about him not complaining. Really, I want to see Button in his seat next year. That would be a huge slice of humble pie.

[Valve Bounce]

Unfortunately, there were a few stories going round a couple of years ago that Ralf is or would be as good as his brother. Some of us believed that, and obviously Ralf did also, especially when Frank gave him a hefty salary rise. That was until his brother tried to run him into a concrete pit wall, and Ralf nearly soiled his pants. After that, he seemed to lose confidence, became very defensive, started bad mouthing his team mate and now the media, and I am sure he no longer believes he will ever beat his brother, not that anyone believes it anymore anyway.[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bonce.gif[/img]

Valve[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bouncy.gif[/img]

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Valve Bounce
I am sure he no longer believes he will ever beat his brother, not that anyone believes it anymore anyway

I think your right, from Rafes point of view it must be totally frustrating, when he finally gets his hands on a better car, Ferrari totally up their game and when he gets a car that could be capable of winning the WDC (if Williams get their finger out more!) he has a team-mate whose seen as TGF's successor!

I miss the Rafe of Austria 1998 where we saw him race wheel to wheel with his brother, but all that seems to have gone now, maybe the start line incident at Nurburgring 2001 where TGF moved across on him has affected his mind-set more than we knew!

[Speed]

Originally posted by mr v
maybe the start line incident at Nurburgring 2001 where TGF moved across on him has affected his mind-set more than we knew!

I don't buy that..., he knows his brother long time ago, and besides that, he was involved in other dangerous situations aswell.

He is so pis..d out thanks to having a teammate getting same results as him on his second year !, period.

Poor Ralf, Montoya has 5 Poles this year, and he can't handle that...

[senna12]

Well, the 2 previous posts of valve and mr.v sum it up pretty well. First he was found wanting compared to his brother, and now it's becoming the same with Juan. His lack of aggression is hurting his career.

= Ralf.

Ralf is a victim of his age as well. He's forever stuck in his brothers shadow. Having Juan around only aggravates the situation. He's up against 2 men who will not be intimidated, and a boss who will likely be less than sympathetic.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Speed
I don't buy that..., he knows his brother long time ago, and besides that, he was involved in other dangerous situations aswell.

Agree to a certain extent, but TGF has been far more aggressive in the last 3 or so seasons, i'll bet that before Nurburg 2001, TGF had never pulled that kind of move on little bro, and that was proberbly because Rafe had never been in a position to beat TGF in F1 before, TGF new that Rafe could possibly beat him in that one race, so put the move on him, Rafe now knows that TGF will possibly put another move on him, so is more (overly) cautious!