...on a SuperBike. Yesterday he rode a 2008 Honda CBR1000 on the Pannóniaring in Hungary. The event was a public test organised by Team Mike Wohner, apparently a friend of the 7x WCs. Schumi finished third in the race held at the end of the day. Pictures: http://index.hu/gal/?dir=0803/sport/schumacher/

The man is just amazing! Born racer.. I hope he enters some other races.

He was awesome to watch in the race of champions.

I find it strange that he drove only a 2:05 lap time. I drove at the Pannoniaring in a Formula 2000 and ran around 2min10. On a bike like that he should have been below 2 min easily

Yeah, MS is clearly a talentless hack.................

Michael forever !
Speed is in his blood

Schumacher retired to early. The big 3 in F1 should be the big 4.

With Schuey, Alonso, Hamilton and Kimi....

just like Senna, Prost, Mansell and Piquet...

the best F1 was in the mid-late 80s.

It could have been, his refusal to race Kimi at Ferrari was the reason he left the sport. With Kimi now the reigning WDC, I can't see any way back for him at Ferrari with him being unwilling to accept joint top-dog status. Mind you, perhaps he could be the man to take BMW that extra step further.

Jesus christ on a BMX bike, if that happened I would be on cloud 9 with a fit bird.

Thats not racing...its mobile bondage

There is probably some alternative existance where all this is happening.

Build me some sort of 'dimension hopping machine'.

I'll buy a ticket.

Good onya Mike, keep the juices flowing and enjoy a bit of fun

Who else was in the race?

It's heresy to ask that question...

Schumacher shines in bike race

By Peter Farkas

After testing a Ducati MotoGP bike last year in Valencia, seven time world champion Michael Schumacher again proved he was almost as fast on two wheels as he was on four, when he finished third in a bike race, held at the Hungarian track of Pannonia-Ring on Thursday.

Although the majority of the 27 bikers who entered the 10-lap race were enthusiastic amateurs, 39-year-old Schumacher faced some tough competition, as his teammate at the Holzhauer Racing Promotion team was none other than 2007 IDM (Internationale Deutsche Motorradmeisterschaft) Superbike Champion Martin Bauer. An other IDM rider, Andy Meklau, was also on the grid.

Schumacher, apparently competing just for fun, and wearing his orange overalls and black helmet familiar from the Ducati tests, arrived at the Pannonia-Ring, a 4,740 metres long track near the Hungarian village of Ostffyasszonyfa, late afternoon on Wednesday.

He then completed only a handful of laps, but went on to claim pole position for the race on Thursday, although it has to be noted the professional IDM riders' bikes didn't have timing transponders and were relegated to the back of the grid.

Instead of starting from pole, Schumacher - riding an 1000 ccm Honda Superbike - decided to join them on the last row, but then made his way up the field to finish third behind fellow Honda racer Bauer and Meklau, who was on a Suzuki. All three competed in the 600+ ccm category.

Schumacher's best lap of 2:01.309 was about six seconds slower compared to what his professional rivals were capable of, but was still 0.6 seconds quicker than anyone else could manage in the course of the race.

Although Schumacher's presence was mostly unexpected, some 250-300 people still turned up to watch the race. But they were left a bit disappointed when their hero, shying away from making a public appearance, decided not to attend the podium ceremony.


*Michael really is the greatest, i wish he was still in F1 competitively but this way his legend perhaps becomes stronger

The results are from Pannoniaring's official website:

Practice:



Qualifying:



Race:



More pics:

http://www.nyugat.hu/cgi-nyugat/galeria.cg...c=2309_img_6480

Sigh.

Superbike rider and organiser of the event Mike Wohner: ''I knew for a while that Schumacher would come here. Jens Holzhauer (teamboss of team Holzhauer PRP) had notified me on forehand this could happen. We really did everything to keep it a secret. But the mobile phones were ringing as soon as Schumacher left the pitbox on his bike (he was riding a Honda Fireblade CBR 1000 RR - AFCA) for the first time.''

''Schumacher really is a cool guy. He certainly had optimal material, great support and always new tyres. But he gave the amateurs, who think as if they were almost worldchampion, a good run for their money. In the practice session he did a time of exactly two minutes. In the race his fastest lap was a 2:01,3. And that considering the weather ! We had everything, a dry track at 15 C but also snow showers.''

According to Wohner, Schumacher lost out 5 to 7 seconds each lap to professionals Bauer and Meklau. From all the amateurs around, Schumacher was the fastest as a non-licence holder.

Before the start Wohner shortly spoke to Schumacher: ''You noticed Schumacher was extremely focussed. His tactic was to fully attack. He also admitted that his level of nervousness was high.''

On not appearing on the podium: ''He no longer needs all the 'turbulence' around him. I can understand that. But I think that Schumacher isn't just riding bikes for fun. He takes it very seriously. He can come and drive in my team anytime.''

Schumacher said that this year he's willing to take part in the entire Racing-for-Fun-Series. Leaving the track he said to the marshalls: 'Kellemes Húsveti Ünnepeket', which means Happy Eastern.

Berger on Schumacher's earlier tests with Ducati: ''Michael prepared himself professionaly for it. Meanwhile he's even looking at the technique of the bikes also. He's a highly talented lad with ambition that is above average. It impresses me how he approaches such challenges.''

KTM director Bartol about Schumacher's weakness: ''On a bike he mainly brakes on the straights. Then he rolls into the corner like he was used to doing in Formula 1 having loads of downforce. But he should rather brake with his frontbrakes into the corners, otherwise the fork doesn't compress. And there's always the risk that the fronttyre goes to slide when you don't put pressure on it. And you can hardly intercept that. Therefore Schumacher lives with this dangerous driving style.''

So he beat a bunch of amatuers and he had the best equipment available and new tires every session but he was 6 seconds a lap slower than the pros. Wow this guy is amazing he should be in MotoGP, at least that's what the fanboys would have you believe. I respect that Michael is passionate about racing but c'mon lets keep things in perspective. He went and had some fun, good for him, nothing more to say here move on.

How about YOU get some perspective. It isn't just Shumachers fans but other riders, team owners and organisers that have praised his efforts. I agree he went and had some fun and he is never going to be a Super Bike World Champion but if the people in the know are impressed by his attitude and abilities then I don't see what your major malfunction is. Is it that hard for you to let his fans have some fun?

Get back in the car Michael, Ferrari needs you.

Obsessed?

Nobody said he should be in MotoGP.

I believe he was forced out by the hedge hogs who run Scuderia Ferrari. There's no way Schumi would fear paring with any of the leading drivers and he probably would have preferred LH since he is a "bambino" and would be a bit more pliable, for lack of verbage, than the other two.

You know I pulled against him a lot, but you've gotta love the man as being a genuine, phenomenal talent. His picture has been on my computer background since he retired. I surely wish he had not especially after his final pass on Kimi in Brazil. I'd love to have a copy of that pass as it's the best I've ever seen.

Long live "The Great One"!

Yeah I was also dissappointed that it seemed that MS didn't want to take Kimi on head to head on equal terms. In my book that will always be another blot on his remarkable record. If he had beat Kimi he would have ended his career in the most stunning way.
Personally I think MS would have beaten Kimi last year.

Also it could be said that the man is competing with the best of everything, although I don't have information to back that up. However he's not short of a few euro's is he? So he may be better equipped then most... but do we know that for sure? I wouldn't bet against it though.

Saying all that I am still in awe of his obvious talent and love of racing, especially the fact he racing in a completely different discipline which is also amazing in itself.

Wow. Well, you have to respect him for that, especially on a bike. That's even more physical than driving a car imho, and aparently he is not letting himself go in his retirement.
I would not be surprised if he made a comeback, he is certainly fit enough for it and he does not seem to have lost his will to win. Respect.

Schumacher may end up doing Superbikes or MotoGp.

It could be Rossi in reverse.

He was still 6 full seconds off from the competitive driver's times. At 39 I doubt he can make up that time.

looks like its 'taxi cab racing time' in NASCAR then.

I remember Mario Andretti getting in a few laps on a previous years Yamaha back when Laguna Seca was on the MotoGP sked for the first time. He would have qualified in the back, but he would have qualified...

The fact that pros like Mario and MS can go that fast fairly quickly is a credit to them. I suspect both were doing their bike things on a lark and had fun. No more, no less, no other...

I think if you have speedy DNA, you are fast at anything.

Look at Colin McRae in an F1 car. He could hustle that about within a few seconds of Brundle.

I think he is doing it for the fun of it and nothing more serious (definitely not MotoGP or Superbike, he is smart enough to know his limits). It's rumoured he will do a whole season in the SKOOX Championship ( http://www.skoox.at/indexx.html ). But that is a fun series, not a professional one.

I think he just wants to see where he can improve and he enjoys this challenge. After he had so much success on four wheels, on two wheels he is a rookie and there's so much room to learn and improve for him, but I think that's exactly what he enjoys in that. That it's a whole new world and discipline for him. To be honest I can see why he finds this more appealing than, let's say, going to DTM, even if he will never get to a level where he was/is in a car.

wow, bitter.... but I guess by his name on the forum, we can understand why

I rest my case.

I'm sure he was on the best bike.


edit: about Schumacher doind a Rossi in reverse, the perfect timing would have been 2003. It was the first full Moto GP season and he was 'young' enough to endure a couple of years of learning and finding the limits.

6 seconds isn't bad. Seriously. That's not even dead-last at a Superbike race.

Jesus. Rleax, dude.

I was dreaming.

Todt about Schumacher participating in motorraces: ''Michael takes that decision on his own. After all, it's his life, he can do what he want. But this decision doesn't suit me. Absolutely not ! I don't like to see him at motorraces at all, after all we know it can be dangerous.''

''I'm not stupid. If it wasn't in Michael's nature to find these risks logical and exciting, then he wouldn't have had the carreer he now has. So everything has it's logic. Sometimes you like it, sometimes you don't. I'm less fond of this one.''

I wonder what Mrs Schumacher thinks of her husband's new hobby.

Wow. Todt's comments are very revealing. He obviously knows, respects and loves Michael. That is rare, indeed.

Not sure why everyone is creaming over MS.

Because he is the best!

According to Bild, Michael participated in yet another motorbike race last weekend in Barcelona which he won.

Here is the article with pics and video: http://www.bild.de/BILD/sport/motorsport/2...eo=4108996.html

His manager was asked if he is about to turn into a professional motorbike rider. Weber: "Too early to say. At the moment he only has fun."

I wonder what this guy is capable of if he switch from "for the fun mode" to "serious mode".

pffffft, against a full field of amateurs he can drive on two wheels.

Even Damon Hill would lap him on two wheels with his eyes closed.

i think that was too much

Whether he takes it seriously or doing it just for fun the good thing about it is that it shows once again what a full-blood racer he is. I mean he could have picked any career after finishing F1, from being a team chief to being a pundit or a TV commentator or something like that, but instead he is doing such a cool thing. IMO it's so much cooler than going to DTM or something like that (even if DTM is of course higher level racing in cars than these semi-pro motorbike races). He's probably just doing it for fun and to see how far he can improve himself on two wheels, but I can see why this excites him much more than doing something on four-wheels, after he has already been on the top of the four-wheels world.

That's the positive outlook... OTOH it looks as if he hasn't been able yet to find a replacement in life for being a F1 star. Strolling around his old teams pits, the talks of replacing Todt, the test driver role and now he spends his time beating amateurs on a bike...

Maybe he's happy doing all that. Or maybe he's constantly looking for his "real" life after F1.

Lets see Schumacher v Hill again on two wheels! Now that would be great! Scumi may think twice before ramming Hill off the road on two wheels!...