27 replies to this topic

[RedFever]

From F1 News Daily:

Michael Schumacher confirmed that McLaren had made him an offer to drive for them but he decided to stick with Ferrari. "If I had chosen another top team, which offered me a contract, more than once, I would have won the World Championship twice more than I have already." Schumacher has missed out on the championship in the past three years when he has had made good opportunities for himself to win - always let down by his machinery. "Winning the championship with Benetton was a real challenge, it will be the same with Ferrari this year, as it has been in the past."

[Mila]

two WDCs with Mclaren? so his assumption is that MH wouldn't have been his teammate?

[theMot]

Hakkinen wouldnt have kept up anyway. Heck he can hardly even beat him in a better car let alone an equal one!

[Chris G.]

Mila,

Good point, but as you prolly know, he'd say something like that even if Senna was the teammate. Such is MS.

This is a pivotal season for MS. If he injures himself or has a string of mistakes and doesn't get WDC, his career (or at least a good part of his legacy) could be over. Winning 2 WDC is great, but Mika's done it too. As an MS fan, I'm glad he's talking some trash and I hope he succeeds. It's his neck on the line, he's got the most to lose. Just imagine how this board will shred him if he doesn't get it this year.

If he (and/or ferrari) blows it this year, his best hope is for a McLaren ride in 2001. Just opinion(s).

[mono-posto]

Your right, he has the most to lose.
If Hakkinen loses the WDC this year it will be like, "OK. Only one other persons pulled a three in a row and that was 50 years ago. He's done well though."

If Michael loses, his repuation and respect will be damaged even worse. The pressure is really on.

[Mila]

Chris G., I was, in part, trying to bait the MS fans!

you're right, recently there has been a whole lot of trash talk coming from the MS/Weber direction. do they really believe that we're stupid enough to fall for it? why don't they go on to say that, if MS were at Williams through the good of it as well, he'd have 6 WDCs by now?

perhaps, in thinking that everyone in the States goes gaga over the scripted rhetoric of professional wrestling, they are trying to endear themselves to this new F1 market!

[sunil]

It is time Schumacher stoped blaming the 'machinery' and tried to get the job done.

97: the 'machinery' veered and hit JV's car.
98: the 'machinery' stalled and the machinery's bad luck caused a blow out.
99: machinery's bad luck again caused a blow out.

When you know that you can pass the blame for failure, you are never going to try hard enough.
Schumy, so shut up and win the WDC, please.


BTW I am a F1 fan, not a Schumi or Mikka or any other driver fan .

[This message has been edited by sunil (edited 03-08-2000).]

[Chris G.]

mono, obviously I wasn't clear. I'm not trying to slight MH's effort or ability. MH has just as much to lose in many ways. My point was that MS is potentially making a bigger fool of himself by talking trash about being ready (especially given the fact that he's done it for a few years now). This year people *seem* to be taking it a little more serious than previous, maybe due to testing times (which mean almost nothing).

If MH doesn't win this year is that going to be as big of a surprise as MS not winning? I don't think so, and the plurality seems to be betting on MS to win (the betting houses included...).

One thing that worries me about Ferrari this year though. Reliability. People just expect Ferrari to be reliable now. If they have caught McLaren engine-wise, then I think reliability will have to suffer a bit. We'll see the red cars drop from more races this year than last.

[Raelene]

Actually, he never said McLaren = he said a top team - could have been Williams

[mono-posto]

I completely agree with everything you said Chris. But you must agree there is more pressure on Michael than on Mika. People have been pinning Michael as the WDC for at least 3 years now. And again this year it's like, "Well, this is going to be it, isn't it?"

I think if he fails this year the Italian press will string him up by his testicals! Whereas if Mika loses the WDC it's not going to really cost him any fans or supporters.

[Samurai]

so who forced Schumacher to reject the offer?

I wonder what he's whining about.

[Samurai]

Mila I think he was assuming that he'd get his usual contract where the other driver isn't allowed to compete with Schumacher, but simply must help him in the WDC race.
That's what he's used to, isn't he.

[whatcom]

sunil, I totally agree with you that it's pretty silly for MS to be blaming the equipment. Was it the equipment that stalled at Suzuka in '98 and forced him to the back of the grid? For that matter was it the equipment that almost stalled at Suzuka in '99? I know he's pissed about Silverstone. He should be. But if the championship goes comes down to Suzuka again (and if past seasons are any indication, there's no reason to think that it won't) MS should at least learn how to do downhill starts before he opens his big mouth.

[Sean L]

whatcom,

if the championship goes comes down to Suzuka again

I think you'll find that it will (FIA willing ;) ) come down to Malaysia as the final race this year.

I wonder which driver is looking forward to that...?

[magnum]

Alesi was offered a drive for Williams in 92...so he should be 2 time WC. Moss turned Ferrari down numerous times so he's a triple WC...wow,this is fun ... perhaps we should post a thread that asks which drivers turned down the best drives in their careers - Clark, Hill...the list is endless. The only driver that ALWAYS went for the best car of the time was Fangio -and he won the WC 5 times ... goes to show hey!

[The Dijk]

Samurai: Schumacher is ALWAYS whining when he can't win. Of course it's never his mistake, always the other driver's mistake!

Remember the difference between Schumacher and God?
At least God doesn't think his name is Schumacher!

[RaggedEdge]

Originally posted by Raelene:
Actually, he never said McLaren = he said a top team - could have been Williams

I completely agree. Could even have been Benetton.

Certainly would sound less arrogant.

[Daemon]

The Dijk - why not just put up with Schumachers whinging, its only 3/4 of the time he's not winning, and 1/2 he not on the podium, so its not that much complaining really.

[MrAerodynamicist]

Not sure if Benetton still counts as a top team anymore It's got to be Williams, McLaren or Jordan.

As for McLaren, you have to wonder how the team would mix Mr "I am God" Schumacher with Mr "Adopted Son" Hakkinen

------------------
MrA
All hail King Jaxs
"Have you wondered, that perhaps, all the world's lunatics are in one place?"

[RaggedEdge]

MrA, Benetton in 1996 was a top team.

Jordan is out of this equation since this cocky statement says "I would have won the World Championship twice"

First "would" implies certainty, and "twice" imples certainty of two titles.

Jordan fails in both counts.

Only Williams and Benetton 1996-97 qualify.

McLaren 1998-99 is a possibility, but the amount of certainty in Michael's tone clashes badly with his other statements such as the one yesterday where he said that Eddie winning the 1999 WDC would have been unfair due to Hakkinen being the better driver.

[Daemon]

I don't think they would mix Hakkinen with Schuey. Schuey wouldn't go to Mclaren with anything less than No. 1 status. If they were one equal footing, I have no doubts that Schuey would be going for number 5 this year. He almost beat him in '98 in the 2nd best car, so it would not be hard to guess the results from that year. Mika seemed to be at a higher level in '99 so it would have been close.

[The Dijk]

According to my maths Daemon that is still 50% NOT being on the podium, means whining every while in two races. Well at least we are prepared for it now, thanks to the stats ;)

[130R]

The timing of such a comment by MS is so calculating. I dislike this guy more and more. He is the chameleon -- nobody understands the real me!! Aaahhhh! Poor baby.

[The RedBaron]

Which is partially true, however you'll find most drivers have quite different personalites from the ones portrayed in front of a TV camera. How much do we really know about Mr Schumacher or Senna or Lauda.
It doesn't help that MS command of the English language isn't 100%, he often sounds flippant and aggrogant whilst probably not meaning too. Would prefer to listen to his
interviews in his native tongue (yes, I can understand German) may give a truer picture of his character.

130R - Schuey is in no-win situation with you. Your views on him have already been formed. If MS is humble then its a PR stunt and if he is aggrogant then he's a prick.

Quite frankly 130R who really gives a **** what you think when you have such lop-sided bias.?

[Peeko]

Yeah, poor baby. Maybe he can borrow Mika's soother...

[Mila]

absolutely, magnum, you're on to something. come to think of it, Philippe Alliot should have been WDC in 1993, but something prevented his Williams deal from coming through!

I care 130R! indeed, when is MS going to host his own talk show? for a guy seemingly with some more years in him, MS is sounding awfully reflective and remote, as though he is in the process of summarizing his career.

seems like there is simply too, too much pressure on the guy.

[magnum]

I give a **** what 130R says -it's a nice corner and he is probably right - Schumi is trying his silly psychology ... maybe if he worried more about his own game, things, and people, would be better "for" him

[HartleyHare]

I care about what 130R has to say too.

But I am prepared to recognise that noone is as open minded and unbiased as RedBaron... As evidenced by his thoughtful comments above: he is so full of surprises! It is always refreshing to read such lucid and penetrating opinions, unrestrained by the yoke of preconceptions under which us mere mortals labour.

But back to the head of the thread, MS turned down a job at McLaren. Yawn. Old news. DH did that too. Ferrari gave MS a better deal than McLaren: bigger budget, and the run of the entire operation. And hasn't he rewarded Ferrari's faith. I think a couple of words in that last sentence may be the wrong way around. Can you guess which? I'll give you a clue, they begin with the letter 'h'.....

But I wish I just knew Michael better - his little adolescent whimper about being misunderstood struck a minor chord on my heartstrings. Poor wee lamb.

And Button too Bri.. sorry... too young to be in F1.