After his puncture he put on a tremendous performance, stormed thru the field to p4. That's a fact.

His car being outstanding [nobody denied that] how and to what extent does influence his driving? Are you suggesting that due to his car being very good he was actually driving poorly or what? What's your point besides pointless moaning?

An older song from a German band, praising Germany (with self-irony). According to them there's only one thing wrong in Deutschland: that Schumacher doesn't drive a Mercedes (at 0:53)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI7ncxV9Q9c

They put it right now.

All I was saying is that his drive was good but so was the car. He wouldn't have stormed to 4th had he been driving a McLaren. What was YOUR point besides the slavish fawning and praising the ueberman?

Can still end in tears, I mean for Mercedes, what if they're dead slow next year, the failure will be magnified because of Schumacher.

You just conveniently ignore how many overtakes he did in that race to reach 4. And people were talking about how difficult it was to overtake those days even with a car of 1s faster than other. I am sure you would have praised Kimi crazily if he were in MS position.

Oh dear, noone was praising the "uberman", nor was it called a superhuman performance.

This is all Johnny said:



It seems even that is too much for the antis.

Johnny used as an example a race in which Ferrari enjoyed a massive advantage over the opposition. If he thinks that it was all Schumacher and he will drive like this in 2010 no matter how good or bad the car is, he might be in a world of hurt. But then again, people like Johnny expected MS to be very competitive this summer, to bring in points regularly and perhaps fight for wins at Spa and beyond, so I am not surprised.

And so it begins.

Geez, that was Michael's last race! I thought Johnny brought that up to say if he takes up where he left, he will be pleased. But no matter why he brought it up, you guys took it as if he said MS was an "uberman" or "superhuman", when he didn't say anything like that. Some things are really just in your minds.....

No worry. Johny didn't call it exceptional or superhuman. In fact, that's was MS at his fading. And Johny would be pleased IF MS could pick-up where he left off in 2006. Nothing exceptional. Just a fading performance.

And your expectation of MS is the other way around, MS' return is just another Badoer / Fisichella.

IF the return is on, let see what MS could do in 2010. Another fading performance? Or another Badoer / Fisichella?

Schumacher was winning in 1996 when the car and the team was still very much a work-in-progress. This is rubbish,

Well, he left on a high note because his car was also very good. MS in 2005 was no slouch either but his car left a lot to be desired. If MS races for Brawn in 2010 and if Brawn produces a car that dominated like it did in early to mid-season 2009, then MS no doubt would please Johnny and the rest.

Jean Alesi was winning in 1995. Berger the year before that... Ferrari had a lot of work to do in order to create a championship winning car and team, but they started from a decent position - they were rarely outside the top three constructors throughout the 'lean years'.

That's not to denigrate the efforts put in by Todt and his new team back then but this is not a rags to riches story, and neither will it be so for Schumacher this time.

If he destroys Rosberg like he did Rubens is 2005 then I'm sure we'll all be pleased.

You can hear the motorsport world chanting his name

MICHAEL
MICHAEL MICHAEL
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE HERO RETURNS!!!!!!!!!!

Now the slow cruel wait for the official announcement and those damn medical tests which are a buzz kill last time out, anything less then a Schumacher now would be unthinkable, the expectation is as fever pitch as back in August, only a Schumacher could do this twice to his fans

actually he did most of his tricks TWICE ......

Dilema some fans shall be facing, should Michael returns, is divided loyalities Ferrari / Schumacher, and in my case BMW/MS/SV. Now when BMW step down, I will be left rooting for two guys. On one hand it improves odds that weekend will be just beautiful, on the other hand I am not sure how I will feel seeing them racing face to face towards end of the race.

I always liked Ferrari in road cars or whatever I saw on tv before Schumacher, and I will after Schumacher, but in terms of ferrari winning grand prix and titles, well, they can't win them all, and Mercedes haven't been around for what like 50 years, and Schumacher doing the unpredictable and being in a new team again, new colors, new agenda, different environment, feels fresh and new, even ferrari president said this week"this is a different schumacher". Michael has been reborn, I don't think coming back to ferrari to replace massa full time, or take the spot of Kimi instead of Alonso would of been his style, because this ferrari also is different now, Michael's ferrari was built up over years, we had Todt, then brawn, both very good friends, both left ferrari.


It's good to have new challenges in life, keeps you fresh, different experience. Michael has experienced ferrari inside out, he's been there, he's contributed to alot of success for the team and the team for him, they both know that, and wish each other well. Saying that, there is this big thing that everyone feels Schumacher is married to ferrari until the end, and I think that's apart of the shock, but for michael, mercedes name must be luring in ways that we will have to wait for him to explain, and I'm sure he will if he does officially sign on for them.

It will be odd seeing Michae's mercedes vs the ferrari cars, but Michael's shadow on ferrari will always remain, because Michael played a huge part in making ferrari a iwinning team other drivers like Alonso and Kimi wanted or want to go too, Michael gave it up, but he did it better and more successfully then any ferrari driver we'll likely see in our lifetimes, you can see it in how ferrari wanted Kimi to be like Schumi a bit more, and now expect Alonso to play that Schumacher role that Schumi did, but there's only one Schumacher, and maybe ferrari president luca demontezmelo will be wondering if there was anything he could of done to sway Schumacher back, it's clear when Luca asked Schumi to come back in August, it ignited the fire and desire of Mr Schumi to drive again, that upset drived him more.

But life is short, mercedes is a new experience, I can see Schumi starting new life there.

It'll be interesting how ferrari fans will devide, schumacher. mercedes and ferrari alonso, the driver who stopped michael getting his 8th title with ferrari....Theres some unfinished business for schumi if he returns, and as for me I'm on schumachers side

Hopefully he gets confirmed asap

and there are still more records to break.
who was the oldest F1 pilot to become a wdc btw ?

I am on Schumachers side to. even though i supported Ferrari since 92.

I don't think Alonso will ever be as good as he was on michelin tyres in that Renault, it was a very good car/package, and Kimi was never the same on bridgestones, I think Massa will cause some trouble for Alonso, had Alonso been at ferrari and raced with Schumacher on bridgestones, Alonso will be looking alot like Massa did in 2006, winning a few races, but ultmately Michael will extact more out of the tyres such as his Imola 2006 drive, outflanking Alonso on shot tyres, races like Imola 2006, and laps such as Schumi's inlaps in Imola 2006 can be done with no other driver, even Renault's Pat Symonds described them as fantastic.

Sometimes people forget the differences Schumacher can make, they are not world eye catching differences, but those one or two extra fast inlaps like he can manage, finding time in important times, is key to some very important races in his long career and make him the legend that he is, Michael's drives, his best drives are just more memorable then any other driver on the grid, even Jacque Villeneuve said recently, Michael did some amazing things on track. Schumacher is beatable, he's had his bad days, he's human, but he's a genius on consistent occassions, it's a honor to see it, I was there at Imola 2006 expecting Alonso to win, imagine being there, and seeing Schumacher do those laps, and win, Michael drives with such pride as if the devil was on his back and your life depended on it, if you were injured and needed to drive to hospital, and there's one driver on the grid to get you there, it's gotta be Michael, his Brazil 2006 drive just had a sense of urgency and life threating vibe that the man had to put on a do or die performance in his last race, he wants to be remembered as someone who is a fighter and doesn't give up, he's as close as you'll get to seeing Sly Stallone's Rocky race in f1 cars lol

We have a f1 legend, living legend who seems close to coming back, it's very exciting, he is the biggest f1 star, all time f1 star, he's around, he's willing to race again, we are all just very lucky to see it once again, I hope it happens.

Just your opinion but you state it so categorically as if it really happened. It is far from certain MS will extract more and beat him. He MIGHT have done it but we'll never know of course. It's quite evident you worship MS and think he walks on water.

Interestingly terms like "superhuman" or "ueberman" have been brought to this thread by those who actually dislike MS. One could conclude that these are the first thoughts / words crossing these posters' minds anytime they read about MS...

A human can't walk on water, and yes Pat Symonds really did say Michael's inlaps were fantastic at Imola 2006, when a rival to the team who has won says things like that, then Michael did a exceptional job. There is a difference between worship and appreciating a rare driving genius who comes once in a lifetime perhaps, I liked Senna alot, he's dead, I'm exicted Schumacher is still out there, willing to fight, I'm a fan, like their are fans of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, I support he best people in sports, Michael Jordan. Imola 2006 did happen, as did Spa 1995, as did Spain 1996 where the field pretty much clapped MS, like Hill clapped MS in 95, or Hakkinen tells lies when he calls Schumacher the greatest, or Alonso who has called the best also, I remember quotes, and Villeneuve recent quote of Michael doing amazing things on track, I guess he thinks he walks on water a as well. Perhaps if you give me at least some faith in my postings that Schumacher does have a body of quotes, races and performances that make him stand out as the best then other drivers, you can begin to understand the excitement building up for his possible mercedes drive, so many fans are looking forward to it, family members ringing me up, some who don't even watch it that much, but they know Schumacher, he commands the limelight, the speculation, the talk, the buzz, you name it, it's called superstar status, look it up!



If Michael does sign, alot of fans worldwide will be happy, alot of holidays will be booked, the racing genius will be on the centre stage again for our entertainment.

I worship GOD, but I support Schumacher, Senna, Ferrari, federer, jordan, Ali, you know the best, because you usually end up watching wins and stuff and great performances

even if you are a hater, you can't argue with the records the man has achieved

Fangio was 46 when he won his last title in 1957. Schuey is 41 in two weeks time.

Of course Pat Symonds had to say that, it was their strategy call to pit Alonso earlier that helped Schumi a lot to get that W.

Obviously Michael did a great job, that´s clear, but Renault did his part too for him

It wasn't just Pat Symonds who was impressed with Schumi's laps, dig out any race review from a f1 mag, at the time, they all were impressed.

That whole weekend Michael was on fire, upholding a ferrari fight back, Schumacher digged deep to find time, Michael usually was considered the sprint master, he just did better inlaps and outlaps on alot of important occassions.

Sean, I do admire Schumachers achievements on the race track but with ´if you were injured and needed to drive to hospital, and there's one driver on the grid to get you there, it's gotta be Michael´you went over board. You wouldn´t want to be banging other cars and doing corners at 5G on your way to the hospital. You should select Tom Cruise who as a scientologist claims he can heal you immediately without such a terrible drive

I actually wasn't the one who thought up the hospital drive, I remember someone else writing it as a letter in a f1 magazine, where the writer was trying to make a example of the sense of urgency, comittment and importance Schuey gave while driving, and if you think about it, the writer was right. Metaphorically speaking.

Yeh according to previous reports, you'd want Schumacher as your taxi driver, not your ambulance driver.

If I recall correctly he put his taxi driver on the passenger seat and drove himself. He got a fine for it so it was actually quite a stupid act. You pay someone for a service and then takeover. Schumi is smarter on track.

No, he paid someone to do nothing. Sort of like what Ferrari is doing to Kimi. If you want to do it right ...


Cooper

It will be nice to watch Schumacher have to earn his wins this time around.

What if he makes it to 46? This hire 19 year olds BS will finally abate. Look how it burned Kimi out.

I guess you didn't know how much different between Ferrari 1996 and years before.

Ferrari 1996 was completely new because of changing from V12 in years before 1996 to V10 engine in 1996. It was really very much a work-in-progress.

To Mr. Sean Vallen ...

you write some of the best Schumacher posts I have ever read ! Great logic you got , great great great !!!


Keep up the excellent work !


Forza Michael Schumacher! Forza Sean Vallen !

I agree!! After watching Rubens have a great year at 37, I am hoping more of the veterans stick around longer. It is so much fun to root for someone with a history in the sport.

Going out of Ferrari will represent a big blow in Schumacher's reputation, IMO.

MS was useless in the Racing Intelligence side, so he had no spot in Ferrari F1, being "promoted" to autocar development and Shell/Ferrari PR.

Alonso brings Santander money, so it is just logic to replace Massa and move him to ToroRosso or Sauber... again... and put MS in his place.
But then, again, there would no be the #1 scheme in Ferrari, bcs Alonso and MS would demand equal status.

For sure, MS had no use in the pits.

It is not that intertesting that MS returns, it is interesting because he returns to a team with Ross Brawn. And I would not be surprised if Rory Byrne would find a job at Mercedes GP as well.

Yes, but unlike Ferrari, Mercedes doesn't have unlimited resources to spend in the car development, like Ferrari used to have.
If the car is not born well, bye-bye WDC... no magic recovery.

MS is just showing how dependent he is on Ross Brawn to succed in F1.

At the start of last year although in admiration for how they pulled the team through and got the competitive car the lack of big name sponsors concerned me. Even towards the middle to middle-end they kept saying "Don't worry about the finances, it is all sorted". I still puzzled this claim.

Then they got Mercedes to provide some financial safety net and now they seem to be getting a driver who can get the sponsors throwing money at them.

Off the track it seems they have as much nouse as on the track.

Andy

But he cought his plane and that's what counts doesn't it?

Yeah, Ross is right there on the pit wall with a remote control operating MS' throttle, brakes and steering

Kind of, yes. But I also doubt that it will be for just 1 year that Schumacher will return, if he does indeed return. It could be the third time Ross and Michael (maybe Rory) could built a championship winning team. Even if the Brawn sucks in 2010, I am sure the 2 (or 3) will give it another try in 2011. And with the Mercedes engine and resources, I would be surprised if they can not fight for the championship in 2011, in a worst case scenario. Realistically I beleive they will be competetive in 2010 as well.

If schumacher signs up I will find it extremely interesting to see if Byrne joins the team as well. His contract with Ferrari as an advisor should have ended in 2009, so he should be free......

The simple point is - ANY DRIVER needs a decent car - be it hamilton, alonso or whoever....Given that you have a great car does not ensure great results..look at heiki or wheover...thats it..

UPDATE: http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_c...tm_content=F1SA

Tests so far have been positive

No you're both ill informed and obviously didn't watch his last season. There have been numerous comments of the same ilk on these forums as well.

Petronas to become a title sponsor for Mercedes GP

http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_c...&Itemid=219

I guess now the Henkel issue will be resolved with this

I guess this might be the end of long term partnership between Shell & MS

Well, this should be anyways, as I don't recall Mercedes partnering with Shell, rather Mobil 1 (though if Mobil 1 is bound to McLaren or Mercedes i'm unsure of).