REPORT: Schumacher set to retire - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Otto-matic · 09-06-2006, 06:40 PM

Quote:

German newspaper Bild reports that Formula One driver Michael Schumacher will announce his retirement at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_s...76660&hubname=

troutman · 09-07-2006, 01:59 PM

How much of his success was due to having the best cars?

habernac · 09-07-2006, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutman

How much of his success was due to having the best cars?

I'm not a big fan of auto racing, but I was always under that impression as well. And he seemed to be a bit of a jackass.

jam26 · 09-07-2006, 02:11 PM

He was still one of the greatest drivers of all time. Very calm under pressure and made very few mistakes. Even when he wasn't in one of the best cars (as has been the case in several recent years) he won races.
Definitely a Formula 1 legend. As far as his personality is concerned, he can seem quite smug, but he's been generous with his money and contributed to many good causes.

pepper24 · 09-09-2006, 10:52 AM

Schumacher has won 89 Grand Prix races in his 15-year career and finished in the top three 152 times, more than any other driver in the history of the series.

Those are amazing stats out of 247 races and I think it has more to due than the driving the best cars. Yes, driving with the best teams will help you suceed but if he wasn't a great driver then Ferrari and his past teams would have recruited other drivers. It's like if A-Rod wasn't such a great player than the Yankees wouldn't have gone afer him.

Resolute 14 · 09-09-2006, 12:16 PM

Still remember when he tried to run - Damon Hill? - off the course to preserve a championship.

He's a jackass, and wont be missed. Though discrediting him for driving for Ferarri doesnt mean too much. In F1, it is ALWAYS about the car. The driver just steers it.

Fuzzy McGillicuddy · 09-12-2006, 08:31 AM

To suggest Schumacher was only a good driver because of Ferrari is like saying Mario Lemieux scored a lot of goals because he used quality hockey sticks. And to suggest Schumacher won't be missed is like saying the NHL doesn't miss Gretzky, or the NBA doesn't miss Jordan.

Pure and simple, the guy is the greatest F1 driver ever. If you think it's all about the car, you should have watched him race during inclement driving conditions. No one dominated a wet-weather race like Schumacher.

I didn't like Schumacher's tactics when he ran Jacques Villeneuve off the road in '97 to preserve a championship. But that tactic has been used by others. It's part of F1's mentality.

Years later Schumacher showed a lot more class than Villeneuve. Cry-baby Jacques left F1 burning as many bridges as he could on the way out.

troutman · 09-12-2006, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzzy McGillicuddy

To suggest Schumacher was only a good driver because of Ferrari is like saying Mario Lemieux scored a lot of goals because he used quality hockey sticks. And to suggest Schumacher won't be missed is like saying the NHL doesn't miss Gretzky, or the NBA doesn't miss Jordan.

To equate F-1 cars with hockey sticks is ridiculous. Give Jacques the Ferrari, and put Michael in whatever crap car Villeneuve was driving, and their career totals would be much different.

Switch Mario's hockey sticks with Tim Hunter's, and there would be no difference in their career totals.

Cars are 90 % of the deal in F-1.

Fuzzy McGillicuddy · 09-12-2006, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutman

To equate F-1 cars with hockey sticks is ridiculous. Give Jacques the Ferrari, and put Michael in whatever crap car Villeneuve was driving, and their career totals would be much different.

Switch Mario's hockey sticks with Tim Hunter's, and there would be no difference in their career totals.

Cars are 90 % of the deal in F-1.

It's too easy to dismiss Schumacher's accomplishments by saying he had a better car. Schumacher has a long list of teammates who drove the same car and were unable to achieve the same results.

troutman · 09-13-2006, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzzy McGillicuddy

It's too easy to dismiss Schumacher's accomplishments by saying he had a better car. Schumacher has a long list of teammates who drove the same car and were unable to achieve the same results.

That's because his teammates are ordered not to pass him on penalty of death.

TimSJ · 09-13-2006, 10:24 AM

I am no schumi fan, but that guy can drive.. In a rain race he just drives circles around everyone else..

I still can;t decide if i will miss him in F1 or not. Kimi should be great at Ferrari. Hopefully McLaren will have a good car next year for Alonso. The last couple for Mclaren have been a real dissapointment

Mr.Coffee · 09-21-2006, 12:57 AM

Is he sure he's made enough money yet to retire on?

Flames_18_22_12 · 09-21-2006, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Is he sure he's made enough money yet to retire on?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think he makes $60 million base salary or something close to that.
Saying that he is a product of the car is ignorant plain and simple. His first championship came with Benetton, definitaly not an F1 powerhouse.
To say that if Villeneuve had a Ferrari and Shumacher drove Williams or BAR they would have opposite career stats is generous as well. Villeneuve does not have the head for F1 racing, he isn't patient and can't seem to finish a race, whether it is a crash (majority) or a car breakdown.

Michael Shumacher is the greatest F1 driver of all time and while confident, I believe he is a class act as well. When Barrichello was leading a race to give him his first career win, Ferrari gave him team orders to pull aside and let Shumacher take it to help in the points standings. Following the race Shumacher refused to stand on the #1 podium and gave Barrichello the trophy. Not only that, once the championship was locked up, Shumacher pulled aside and let Barrichello take the lead to win his first race.

Fuzzy McGillicuddy · 10-01-2006, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutman

Cars are 90 % of the deal in F-1.

This weekend's Chinese Grand Prix illustrates why Schumacher is miles ahead of other drivers - especially on a wet track.

Schumacher was the only driver using Bridgestone tires to start in the top 10. He qualified 6th - Alonso was on pole. On a wet track, Schumacher erased a 25 second deficit to pass Alonso and win the race. Alonso struggled with one pit stop, but that wasn't the deciding factor.

If this was the only time Schumacher dominated on a wet track you might say he got lucky. But he's done it again and again and again.

Yup, it's all car.