Why I think Michael Schumacher should retire now

[Redblurr]

with recent stories of MS retirement it should have been mentioned that this article is from 1999 World Championship - Or did everyone realise this?

[Elton Julian]

Having grown up watching my favorite, Senna, I will most regret not having the chance to see MS get a fair shot at my hero. I feel that age is not a factor. If Ferrari can still give the best driver today,MS, the goods then he will win. If Ferrari starts to slip and another team produces a better car then I hope that MS can negotiate his way into that car thus extending his career. MS will always be a better driver than any of the current pretenders. You just don't get slower.

[pole2pole]

Yes you dont get slower but your team can. Ferrari really need to come up with the goods to keep MS on top

[Mattracer]

I disagree, drivers do get slower or more precisely, more cautious. This caution leads to their "speed" diminshing under certain circumstances eg rain, qual in tricky conditions. It will most likely affect Schumacher too when his family, vast wealth and place in the record books means more to him than one more win, pole, FL and WDC. Not yet but one day it will. Either tha or Ferrari goes off the boil technically (personnel?) and he finds it not worth it.

[ASCII Man]

Especially drivers who had a major racing accident tend to be alot more conservative in their driving attitude instead of just barging right in there without fear like most young and inexperienced racers do.

[Kirk]

Originally posted by climb
What is more, Yoong, Kimi and JPM dopn't seem, as far as now, faster than MS, it rather semms that the two competitor sometimes have to take over risks to keep up with him...

MS will retire before these guys can catch him. It takes more than speed; MS is the dirtiest driver out there by far (and possibly ever in F1). In equal cars, there is only one guy who can beat him at present and he knows it.

[Snrub]

One thing that MS tends to do is joke around a lot rather than reveal any details. (I realize the way the interview was done has something to do with that) MS reveals a couple of interesting points, but they're few and far between. I don't like interviews with him for that reason. He's a really private guy and I can respect that, but I almost wonder what the point of the interview is. Hill's comments were probably more interesting, MS agrees with some of them but we have no idea if he's just saying stuff or if he actually thinks something.

[Wrex]

Originally posted by Kirk
In equal cars, there is only one guy who can beat him at present and he knows it.

There is????

Please dont keep us (and the team owners) in suspense, who is this master if control? (Note - if the answer is Villenueve I will go crazy and kill everyone in the room)

[Gt_R]

Yes, Schumacher is a fast and all rounded driver. As a complete package, Kimi and Juan are still not there yet. However, i disagree that Schmacher can't get slower. He can, and it's not because of just mentality. Sure, with a family and all the successes he had, he'd be cautious to just throw it all away in an accident. The car may not get worse, and his motivation and enjoyment is still there. But thing is, he's at an age where his fitness and reaction/judgement may not be as sharp as before. He's still bloody fast, bloody good. But in a sports where the fraction of second matter, it's going to affect him when it does come. There's no escaping it.

[ralf fan]

i think f1 cars are safe enough and reliability is tremendous. Schumacher will only retire if he does not enjoy racing any more and judging by last year i think hell be on the grid for 2005 as well!!

[ralf fan]

Originally posted by Wrex
There is????
Please dont keep us (and the team owners) in suspense, who is this master if control? (Note - if the answer is Villenueve I will go crazy and kill everyone in the room)

if the answer is Villenueve ill beat you to killing everyone in this room Wrex!!

[ASCII Man]

Good grief...

[Irv the Swerve]

Originally posted by Gt_R
Yes, Schumacher is a fast and all rounded driver. As a complete package, Kimi and Juan are still not there yet. However, i disagree that Schmacher can't get slower. He can, and it's not because of just mentality. Sure, with a family and all the successes he had, he'd be cautious to just throw it all away in an accident. The car may not get worse, and his motivation and enjoyment is still there. But thing is, he's at an age where his fitness and reaction/judgement may not be as sharp as before. He's still bloody fast, bloody good. But in a sports where the fraction of second matter, it's going to affect him when it does come. There's no escaping it.

Largely I agree with this post, but there are a few counter arguments. Firstly, he has had a family and huge wealth for a long time and it hasn't slowed him too much up to now. He had a big smack in 1999 (family, money and all) and yet it didn't hinder him on his return too much.

Secondly and obviously, of course he is getting older, but he's not that old! Maybe the influx of exceptionally young drivers into F1 in recent years has clouded the age issue a little, but when you take motor racing as a whole, and even recent F1 in particular, he has a few years left at the top if he so desires. His fitness is Olympian and he puts most of the drivers to shame in that area, his mental capacity was always ahead of anyone else (listen to Ross Brawn), but his reflexes may be dulled somewhat as time goes on. The only weapon he will have to fight this is his vast wealth of experience, which is priceless.

Also, Mick works hard. Actually, its more accurate to say that Mick is obsessed with pushing himself to the limit all the time. If he perceives a gap or a flaw in his make-up, be it age related or otherwise, he will close it, end of story.

Motivation, will wane though, that is undeniable. After 6 World Championships, it has too. There is no other possibility. Sooner or later, a deficit will appear in his driving repertoire that he will be unable to shore up. The motivation won't be there, the mind will be unwilling.
I think he will retire before then.

So, in short (ahem!), I think time will catch up with Michael of course, but not for a while yet, and certainly not as soon as the title of this thread, unless he wins title No.7 that is - then its adios!

[gringottsdirect]

Originally posted by Kirk
In equal cars, there is only one guy who can beat him at present and he knows it.

Jenson Button obviously, Rubinho pointedly, but suspect Coulthard imaginedly ?

[RWC]

I think michael has far more to worry about from slowely losing his abilities than from fighting the next fast guy.We've seen it many times-shuey allways drives fast wether there is a challenger or not(ok within reason)-what i'm getting at is that when michael is seriously challenged,he makes 'moral' mistakes.He doesn't really overextend himself as such

[John Turner]

Originally posted by Raven
Personally I'd take immense satisfaction seeing Schumacher stick around and get beaten by the new breed. Kimi took him to the limit last year, and I reckon TGF had the better car overall.

Sorry, I'm just catching up on this thread and couldn't let this one go. It was only the ludicrous points scoring system that allowed Kimi to run Michael close. In reality, MS slaughtered Kimi - winning championships should be about winning races - check out how many MS won compared to Kimi, last year.

I agree with those that say Michael has nothing to fear (yet!) from the current crop of young drivers, and if he is enjoying it, he should continue. We might take a different view at the end of next season. Let's wait and see.

[MrBluesman1]

Originally posted by John Turner
Sorry, I'm just catching up on this thread and couldn't let this one go. It was only the ludicrous points scoring system that allowed Kimi to run Michael close. In reality, MS slaughtered Kimi - winning championships should be about winning races - check out how many MS won compared to Kimi, last year.

I agree with those that say Michael has nothing to fear (yet!) from the current crop of young drivers, and if he is enjoying it, he should continue. We might take a different view at the end of next season. Let's wait and see.

Championships should be about consistently out performing your opposition and winning races is part of that but Keke Rosberg only won one race in 82 iirc, does that make him less of a champion than someone that won more than one?
and I agree with you on MS staying.

[BARrouette]

He should be racing next year just to see him what is gona say when his gonna loose the champ to kimi ,you will see if the new McLarren is reliable ...