The best Michael Schumacher title season.

[Kieran20]

Originally Posted by SennaTheGreat

2000 title for me, but i still think that MH should have had the 2000 title

why?

[Knowlesy]

I suppose the argument is reliability cost him. But there was also that period where he was a bit off the pace of DC as well.

Mika was generally magnificent again in 2000 though and would have been a worthy winner. But Michael was instead!

I guess it is what makes Schueys 2000 title so special....it was the first he won against someone arguably faster than him.

[chunterer]

1996 - First year in the Ferrari and driving very hard to stay with the Williams.

1997 - Up until last race shenanigans it was a good fight with JV.

2005 - Last chance saloon against Alonso and drove better than ever?

Difficult to pick one really!

But er herm....those are the ones he didn't win.

I think 2003 was the most compettive season that he won out in because at times 4 different teams were competing for wins and it was a 3 driver battle almost until the end.

That just shades 2000 against Mika. 1994 against Hill for me was always a bit hollow (for MS too) as he always said that Ayrton would have defeated them once the Williams was set up properly.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by chunterer

But er herm....those are the ones he didn't win.

And for you: The best Michael Schumacher season in which he didn't win the title.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

And for you: The best Michael Schumacher season in which he didn't win the title.

Yes, I know!!!

[Kieran20]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

I suppose the argument is reliability cost him. But there was also that period where he was a bit off the pace of DC as well.

Mika was generally magnificent again in 2000 though and would have been a worthy winner. But Michael was instead!

I guess it is what makes Schueys 2000 title so special....it was the first he won against someone arguably faster than him.

well that is generally how racing is, just the same as this season, michael would have won the chamionship if he didnt have problems in japan and brazil?

the word IF is a big factor but cant be used because what happened is what happened.

[Knowlesy]

Yeah, but overall Renault and Ferrari had more or less equal reliability no?

There was only a few immaterial points net gained/lost.

[outflat]

Indeed - and Alonso never retired through his own error - only mechanical DNFs, whereas Schumacher crashed in Australia.

[Knowlesy]

Yes, exactly.

[Kieran20]

probably trying to salvage some point from a duff car. michael was drving it beyond the limit to get some speed out of it, u could just tell he wasnt driving his normal self, like you say, he ended up in the wall

[Knowlesy]

It was an incorrect tyre choice by the team that led to the poor pace, so there is partial blame for Michael there.

[Kieran20]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

It was an incorrect tyre choice by the team that led to the poor pace, so there is partial blame for Michael there.

ah yes i remember now.

[luke]

2000 for me. I was way too young to remember '94 or '95.
A dream start to the season with three wins. Such an up and down season.
Yes Michael dominated the first few races, but he only won because both Mclarens retired. Similar to 1999.
He had some great wins like at the Nurburgring and Montreal in the wet. Average showing at Silverstone, and retirement at Monaco whilst leading with the suspension failure. Then after the Magny-Cours engine failure, it all went down hill.
DC and Mika traded wins although I seem to remember DC being the first to win after Michael had the problem...at Barcelona...Then A1-ring and Hockenheim. After the consistent wins and points Michael really had that bad point mid season. I really did think after Spa that Michael wouldn't win it yet again. I could see Mika snatching it away again. It was such a Topsy turvy year just like 2006. And also just like 2006, alot of emotion and excitement took place.
There was some dull moments. But there was always tension between Michael and and Mika at the front particularly when it all got very exciting to wards the end of the year. Then didn't Michael win the last four races, yeah Monza, Indy, Suzuka and Sepang...
Suzuka was a great race. Many say Michael won half his races just because of pit stops. Many people forget that the main reason he wins on the pit lane is not just by the brains of strategy of Ross Brawn but because he was such a complete driver at being so fast and the in and out lap. He was always fast when needed.
2001 was much the same, but unfortunately DC had some bad luck and the title chase was lost for him realistically 3/4s of the way in.
2003 was another great championship. Definitely one of the best.

[Speedworx]

Either 1995 or 2000. The rest were not that special.

[safc_fan89]

The 2000 season...mainly because the Mclaren I would say was the faster car yet Schumacher won, it was his first for Ferrari and their first for 21 years, and because it was the most exciting of the 7, in terms of competition from other drivers. Plus the 2000 season was a good one overall.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by hakkiman

Either 1995 or 2000. The rest were not that special.

Good seasons both, but afaicr 1995 was a two horse race between 2 teams miles clear of the opposition (He battled Hill in the superior Williams) and 2000 although tougher (he had to battle both of the faster McLarens) wasn't all that dissimilar?

2003 both offered more variety in terms of competition and uncertainty (2 Williams, 1 McLaren, and ocassionally 1 Renault), so arguably Schu had to work even harder for it.

[Red Emperor]

Originally Posted by outflat

Indeed - and Alonso never retired through his own error - only mechanical DNFs, whereas Schumacher crashed in Australia.

Alonso was more lucky with his mistakes:
He made several mistakes and off track excursions that could lead to a DNF but no wall near it: off in the first corner in China, big off in Germany, Susuka while chasing Ralf, Imola big hit in the curb while chasing Michael and an off at the chicane, Turkey in the 3rd lap with big off in the first corner (save by the pace car...) etc.
The best title for me was 2000 and 1995, both with inferior cars.

[Knowlesy]

Whenever Michael did that in the past it was described as "probing the limits" or somesuch. Funny that.

I certainly think his 2000 title was amazing though. I don't think the car was in any way inferior. It may have lacked the tyre care of the McLaren, but it more than made up for this with reliability. It was all square as regards machinery and was the better for it!

[safc_fan89]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Good seasons both, but afaicr 1995 was a two horse race between 2 teams miles clear of the opposition (He battled Hill in the superior Williams) and 2000 although tougher (he had to battle both of the faster McLarens) wasn't all that dissimilar?

2003 both offered more variety in terms of competition and uncertainty (2 Williams, 1 McLaren, and ocassionally 1 Renault), so arguably Schu had to work even harder for it.

Not sure about that, I'd say the Ferrari was the best car...just certain things conspired against Schumacher. Plus I don't think he drove all that well that season (blunders at Japan, Brazil, Malaysia). Not often you can list 3 right away...it was probably the most interesting, but I never thought that Montoya or Raikkonen would win that title. In 2000 I had it down as a Mika hattrick.