At last!...

Hot_Charlie · Post by **Hot_Charlie** » 10 Sep 2006, 15:41

...Michael Schumacher's retiring.

A good driver, but I was one of those who could never forgive him for Adelaide '94...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 332630.stm

AllanL · Post by **AllanL** » 10 Sep 2006, 19:52

...or Villeneuve '97

or Hungary '02

or Monaco '06

to name but a few :tuttut: :tuttut:

A flawed genius who should have been above his worst excesses.

On the bright side young Robert Kubica drove his socks off, in only his third race, to get on the podium with third place after soaking up immense pressure at times without putting a wheel wrong. About half Schummi's age as well.

Post by **TSR2** » 10 Sep 2006, 19:57

Senna will always be my top F1. Although... John Watson is my local hero.

Hot_Charlie · Post by **Hot_Charlie** » 10 Sep 2006, 20:04

AllanL wrote:...or Villeneuve '97

or Hungary '02

or Monaco '06

I was already disliking him by then!

I have to agree Kubica looks a promising prospect.

Robin · Post by **Robin** » 10 Sep 2006, 20:04

Good riddance I say!

Yes he has skill, he is a gimp, and he has nothing more to gain.

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 10 Sep 2006, 20:08

I always thought he was a 'good' driver who lacked good competition - another good driver/car combination. Plenty of other good cars aroudn in the last few years driven by people who werent that great, and a few people who had been good who found themselves relegated to lesser teams, leaving Mr Shoemaker to clean up :huf:

Ah well, I will be interested to see how Bruno Senna gets on in a year or two.

Hot_Charlie · Post by **Hot_Charlie** » 10 Sep 2006, 20:51

TobyV wrote:I always thought he was a 'good' driver who lacked good competition - another good driver/car combination. Plenty of other good cars aroudn in the last few years driven by people who werent that great, and a few people who had been good who found themselves relegated to lesser teams, leaving Mr Shoemaker to clean up :huf:

Ah well, I will be interested to see how Bruno Senna gets on in a year or two.

Unfortunately, when he's had decent (very close*) competition, it happens to coincide with his misdemeanours, ie Damon Hill '94, JV '97 and this year...

*Mika Hakkinen was obviosly lucky!

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 10 Sep 2006, 21:12

Quite right HC. I'm not a fan :huf:

Nigel H-J · Post by **Nigel H-J** » 10 Sep 2006, 21:51

When Schumi first started in F1 with Eddie Jordan you could see a champion in the making. He was........ seven times over and maybe at the end of this season might make it eight.

There is no doubting his abilities as a driver and a tactician, he is good, but during his seasons in Formula One there have been many controversies that have questioned his sportmanship and also cast a shadow on his reputation as a driver which I found to be, at times, very disappointing. Ayrton Senna was also classed as a brilliant driver and he too used certain tactics to get his own way, but that is another story.

I think Schumi should have retired two seasons ago, F1 was becoming boring and predictable but now, with new faces entering the circus, Michaels' departure, Kimis' move to Ferrarri and Kubicas' excellent performance with Williams, things can only get a lot better!!! :dance:

TobyV · Post by **TobyV** » 10 Sep 2006, 22:35

Nigel H-J wrote:Ayrton Senna was also classed as a brilliant driver and he too used certain tactics to get his own way, but that is another story.

I used to dislike Senna when I was a kid, mainly because he was one of the main serious rivals to Mansell and then Hill :roll: . After his death though and having got a book and a couple of videos about his life, they completely changed my perception of him. Some of the controversies that got him into trouble (the ends of the '89 and '90 seasons in particular) I think were at least in the former case, unfair and a sort of "unfair justice" in the latter. Then FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre did seem to come down too hard on Senna in favour of Balestre's countryman Prost after the 89 season IMHO.

Sorry, I'm going O/T