Malaysian Grand Prix 2010, Sepang - Race 3/19
- Thread starter Glaucus
- Start date
I don't think there's much wrong with Schumacher's performance so far. He was never going to at his best for the first few races. He has had more than his fair share of bad luck and Rosberg has been relatively lucky. I fully expect him to complete the season and finish within the top eight. Beyond that I just don't think it's possible to say more as it isn't clear yet is how the relative performance of the Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Merc will pan out.
Don't forget that when MS moved to Ferrari, it was an exciting project for him. He was taking with him, key personnel from Bennetton and moving to the team with the biggest budget in F1. Furthermore, he was moving to "Ferrari". In his first season, the car was bad - agreed - however, he was consistently dominating his team-mate. There was absolutely no doubt that he was "the daddy".
At Mercedes, he is being consistently outperformed by his younger team-mate, which for a lesser driver making a return wouldn't be such a big deal. But for MS, it is a huge deal.
Imagine if Senna miraculously came back to life, joined an F1 team and hadh a team-mate who didn't have a big reputation who was consistently beating him - it wouldn't be long before he called it a day.
The problem isn't the fact that he is struggling to score points. The problem is that he is taking a beating at the hands of Rosberg, who isn't rated too highly by most (although this may now be changing).
For the record, I still believe that MS, providing he stays the full season, will finish up with more points than Rosberg in 2010.
I think MS will be behind NR by a lot. NR is proving to be remarkably consistent for the last couple years.
If the current pattern of Rosberg beating MS continues, I would agree with you, but I do believe that MS will start outperforming Rosberg over the next within the next 2 races or so. If this doesnt happen, then MS and Mercedes will seriously have to re-evaluate their plans.
Michael who?
Seriously. I hate the guy, but I feel sorry for him. He's clearly uncomfortable and possibly even scared at the moment. The sport is a lot different to 3 years ago and he's showing his age.
I can only parallel him with Button at the moment that when the car just isn't to his liking he struggles. I don't see that changing. The Merc team still have a long way to go yet and the only hope MS has is his history with Ross Brawn and the trust they have at getting a package together. If MS is behind NR again at the end of the next race I would be seriosuly doubting any kind of form change really. He might beat him on the odd occasion but it looks like Nico really has the measure of his car and team mate at the moment and I'm looking forward to what he can produce in a more competative car. MS is just marketing tool right now IMO.
Seriously. I hate the guy, but I feel sorry for him. He's clearly uncomfortable and possibly even scared at the moment. The sport is a lot different to 3 years ago and he's showing his age.
I can only parallel him with Button at the moment that when the car just isn't to his liking he struggles. I don't see that changing. The Merc team still have a long way to go yet and the only hope MS has is his history with Ross Brawn and the trust they have at getting a package together. If MS is behind NR again at the end of the next race I would be seriosuly doubting any kind of form change really. He might beat him on the odd occasion but it looks like Nico really has the measure of his car and team mate at the moment and I'm looking forward to what he can produce in a more competative car. MS is just marketing tool right now IMO.
ofcourse nico has the best of him right now when schumacher either gets rammed , car failures , unlucky with weathewr etc.
he hasnt had a chance to prove either way if he still has it or not.
you cant compare performances when one doesnt really get a chance and the other just happens to have everything go his way.
no one in a 4th best car would ever dream RB would be so unlucky and ferrari/mclaren would have rotten luck/bad decisions.
maybe ferrari and mclaren should consider retiring aswell
he hasnt had a chance to prove either way if he still has it or not.
you cant compare performances when one doesnt really get a chance and the other just happens to have everything go his way.
no one in a 4th best car would ever dream RB would be so unlucky and ferrari/mclaren would have rotten luck/bad decisions.
maybe ferrari and mclaren should consider retiring aswell
This is definitely true for Button - when the car is perfect, he gets the maximum out of it, but if the car is even slightly "off", his performance disproportionately suffers.
But, you must remember MS was in a completely different league to Button. The top drivers in general,, are able to extract the most out of their package, no matter the condition of the car. Alonso/Hamilton are able currently able to do this. MS used to be able to do this (as we saw when he was at Bennetton and Ferrari and the car wasnt that great).
The real question has to be: is the MS of old going to show up and if so, when?
I think people are being way too quick to criticise MS. Give the guy a chance. We all knew he wouldn't be great for the first few races.
I simply don't believe there is enough information/evidence to say one way or another how his season will pan out and the amateur psychology some people are coming up with is daft seeing as I doubt anyone here even knows the guy, let alone his current state or mind and motivations.
Don't read into this that I'm some kind of blind MS fan - I was always more of fan of Hill, Hakkinen, Montoya, even Alonso back in the day!
I simply don't believe there is enough information/evidence to say one way or another how his season will pan out and the amateur psychology some people are coming up with is daft seeing as I doubt anyone here even knows the guy, let alone his current state or mind and motivations.
Don't read into this that I'm some kind of blind MS fan - I was always more of fan of Hill, Hakkinen, Montoya, even Alonso back in the day!
maybe ferrari and mclaren should consider retiring aswell
Ferrari are leading the constructors title and their driver is leading the WDC. I think it would be silly to have them retire.
McLaren, although poor in qualifying, were decent in the race. In particular, Hamilton during the last 2 races has been like a rabid animal, overtaking more people in a single race than many drivers manage in a whole season. The only reason why his progress has been halted is due to the problem of following a slower car, through the "dirty" air.
Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Massa, McLaren and Ferrari have all shown that they are the teams/drivers to beat simply by looking at the WDC/WCC tables. The same goes for Vettel/RedBull.
MS on the other hand is retiring while behind his team-mate. He is also getting beaten in the practise sessions and is 3-0 down, to Rosberg, in qualifying performances. When was the last time MS was outqualilfied by his team-mate, 3 times in succession? Has this actually ever happened?
It is simply unreliable to draw any conclusions from such early data.
isnt it really funny how when its schumacher in melbourne hes crap , past it , lost it , never had it, flattered by illegal gadgets.
as soon as its ferrari stuck behind torro rosso until they pit its entirely different, as soon as hamilton is behind a car with similar speeds on the straight the reason is different again.
everyone just wants to bash schumacher you guys dont even want him to have the chance to show his race pace
Again I don't understand why people are not looking at MS's pace in bahrain against rosberg to see he isn't having anything but a bit of bad luck.
Where as Massa by the opposite token is having a heap of good luck compared to his team mate, so has more points while being utterly destroyed for pace.
Again people seem to want to conviently forget this car was designed around Button whose style is completely different to Schumachers.
Where as Massa by the opposite token is having a heap of good luck compared to his team mate, so has more points while being utterly destroyed for pace.
Again people seem to want to conviently forget this car was designed around Button whose style is completely different to Schumachers.
Danny, the top drivers (assuming we can class MS as a top driver), have never needed the car designed around them to outperform their team-mates. When MS first drove for Jordan, he never had driven in an F1 car before and immediately was outqualifying his team-mate. This continued when he moved to Bennetten, where in a car not designed around him, he was able to out-gun his team mate. Yet again when he moved to Ferrari, he was immediately faster than his team-mate.
The above pattern has not been repeated at Mercedes where Rosberg (who is also new to the team) seems to be doing a better job than MS.
I have to say that I am suprised at the fact that he seems to be slower than his team-mate, something that I never saw in 15 or so years of seeing MS race in F1.
Another point of note is that Button and Alonso have both moved to new teams during the Winter and they have both won a race each. The 'new car - new team' excuse, doesnt wash.
You seem to be suggesting that I am being harsh on MS, while being easy on Hamilton.
1. Hamilton has scored much more points this season, despite his problems, than MS.
2. Hamilton hasnt been outgunned by his team-mate, 3 races/qualifying sessions in a row. MS has.
3. When Hamilton/Alonso go to the back of the grid, they seem to have the ability to claw their way back to a top6 finish. MS, as shown in Australia, doesnt seem to have this ability. In fact, wasn't he overtaken by one of the Virgin cars.
Despite all of the above, I still believe that MS will place higher than Rosberg in the WDC, by the end of the season, providing he doesnt quit. My prediction is based solely on his previous performances.
so its just my imagination that ferrari couldnt overtake torro rosso for 15laps until they pitted?
when it was schumacher he overtook jaime on the track in aus and then ross made him pit because they wanted to see how quick new tyres were and he came out again behind jaime who he had only just passed 1-2 laps ago.
schumacher was stuck behind him again much like the ferraris in malaysia.
alonso was lucky in aus as he never got stuck behind any slower cars he overtook pretty much everyone in the pits while schumacher did 8 over takes on the track in aus.
no a virgin didnt overtake schumacher like you and many others keep trying to make everyone believe, schumacher over took glock but ran wide enabling glock to go back past.
glock did not come up behind schumacher and over take him because of race speed.
as soon as schumacher had clear air in aus he lit purple sectors but he only had clear air for probably 2-4 laps the whole race
no one in his position would have magicly ovetaken the torro rossos in a mercedes alonso couldnt do it in a much better car and hamilton got stuck behind renaults etc which are far worse cars than the mclaren
when it was schumacher he overtook jaime on the track in aus and then ross made him pit because they wanted to see how quick new tyres were and he came out again behind jaime who he had only just passed 1-2 laps ago.
schumacher was stuck behind him again much like the ferraris in malaysia.
alonso was lucky in aus as he never got stuck behind any slower cars he overtook pretty much everyone in the pits while schumacher did 8 over takes on the track in aus.
no a virgin didnt overtake schumacher like you and many others keep trying to make everyone believe, schumacher over took glock but ran wide enabling glock to go back past.
glock did not come up behind schumacher and over take him because of race speed.
as soon as schumacher had clear air in aus he lit purple sectors but he only had clear air for probably 2-4 laps the whole race
no one in his position would have magicly ovetaken the torro rossos in a mercedes alonso couldnt do it in a much better car and hamilton got stuck behind renaults etc which are far worse cars than the mclaren
Good post but you have to remember he was out the sport for a few years. Would Button or Alonso have been on the pace they are now if they also skipped 3(?) years?