Shumacher

Merlin5 · 28 Mar 2010 at 15:13

Anyone here think Schumi needs a few races, perhaps even till next season before he shows who's boss again, that he's simply rusty? Or do you think he'll never be the world beater again that he once was? Could it be that if he was still with ferrari that he would do better or is Mercedes GP as good?

JRS · 28 Mar 2010 at 15:18

Merlin5 said:
snip

The Merc car isn't there yet. If it was, Nico would have done better today than he did. Schumacher was hampered today by his car getting clobbered at Turn 1 - the resultant damage wrecked his race.

If the teams could actually test their cars, in this supposed pinnacle of motorsport, then Mercedes and Schumacher could well climb up the grid quickly. But with the current ruleset re: testing and development, they're stuffed for the moment.

VaderDSL · 28 Mar 2010 at 15:20

Nico lost out on the tyre changes, they didn't have them ready

they were still in the blankets. Hopefully the team gels a bit more for next weekend.

BigglesPiP · 28 Mar 2010 at 15:40

I think the thing people keep forgetting with the Nico v. Schumacher thing, is that given the right drives; Nico could probably rack up 7 championships too, he's definitely champion material.

SKILL · 28 Mar 2010 at 16:25

Rosberg is a bit hard to rate as he's only driven in the midfield cars so far, but I do think he's got a good chunk of talent.

I think Schumacher is very rusty, but he's already almost to the point of beating Rosberg in qualifying (less than 0.050 behind), and he showed at Bahrain that barring any damage or anything he can keep up with Rosberg in a race as well.

I wouldn't be surprised for Schumacher to out qualify, and possibly finish ahead, of Rosberg in one or both of the next 2 races. He's still a damn good driver.

Saying that, I don't think he'll be as dominant as he was 7-8 years ago, but if he stays in for the 3 year contract I'd be very surprised if he didn't win a few races, and a title is a slim but possible chance.

utajoker · 28 Mar 2010 at 16:28

i dont think he will be a world beater again but he will get faster, you cant expect someone whos been out so many years to come back and be right on pace. F1 isnt like football or rugby were you can still play while your not competing at the top to keep in touch, all the rules about testing etc mean you cant drive unless your in the team.

i think he will have a much better 2nd half to the season.

Merlin5 · 28 Mar 2010 at 16:58

It's odd really. I don't actually want schumacher to beat our lads, but on the other hand, there's part of me that wants to see this once great legend be able to own everyone on the grid like the racing god he used to be.

Pete19s · 28 Mar 2010 at 18:03

I think that by the time we get back to Europe he will be fully upto speed. The complete lack of any sort of in season testing is a massive hinderance to both the development of Schumacher and the car itself. It was inevitable that he would "struggle" to begin with. Personally I don't see him dominating in the way that he once did, but I do see him winning races.

Merlin5 · 28 Mar 2010 at 18:20

Ok, but once but once he's not rusty anymore and has fine tuned his skills to tiptop condition, why might we assume he won't be a world beater again? Just general slower driving reactions because of age perhaps? Or maybe he won't be as risk taking as when he was younger?

Dave M · 28 Mar 2010 at 18:24

I always thought Schumachers dominance was as much his ability to work with the team to construct the best car (for him) as it was his on track ability.

It's very early days but do the testing rules enhance his ability to setup a car or restrict it? I guess only him and the engineers he's worked with know that.

ins0mn1ac · 28 Mar 2010 at 18:55

I don't think he'll make a dent on current "top" drivers, I doubt that Merc will get to within the top teams speeds. I'd rather see new talent anyway not has been drivers wanting back into the sport.

Pete19s · 28 Mar 2010 at 19:17

Merlin5 said:
Ok, but once but once he's not rusty anymore and has fine tuned his skills to tiptop condition, why might we assume he won't be a world beater again? Just general slower driving reactions because of age perhaps? Or maybe he won't be as risk taking as when he was younger?

Its a different Formula One to when he was dominating. Even if the Mercedes comes on leaps and bounds during the season and is able to push for victories every race weekend he isn't going to be fighting a quick car or two, he has three other quick teams with two multiple race winning drivers each. Its a challenge he has never really faced and although im sure he would be more than upto it it would be difficult to dominate all of them.

Lunatic Dreyfus · 29 Mar 2010 at 16:05

No one seemed very frightened of him at Melbourne. Even the back markers stood their ground.

Things have moved on. The field in Micheal's heyday was pretty mediocre, if we're honest. Now things are a lot sharper.

I'd be surprised if he's racing next season.

Mr Jack · 29 Mar 2010 at 17:02

BigglesPiP said:
I think the thing people keep forgetting with the Nico v. Schumacher thing, is that given the right drives; Nico could probably rack up 7 championships too, he's definitely champion material.

7 championships? Nico? No. He's not that good. He is a very fast driver though; especially in qualifying although too often not in the race.

Schumi bested Nico throught practice, was close behind in Quali and compromised through the race. I think we'll see him beating Nico across the whole season. But.... even if he does beat Nico I can't see him achieving like he used to.

Mr Jack · 29 Mar 2010 at 17:09

Lunatic Dreyfus said:
No one seemed very frightened of him at Melbourne. Even the back markers stood their ground.

Can you think of a time when they didn't? Back markers have always loved holding up the front runners when they get a whiff of a chance.

Kitchster_uk · 29 Mar 2010 at 17:40

Bahrain was a new track to him in a car that's not at the peak of performance and Melbourne involved getting the car damaged. Drawing a verdict on MS is premature; it took 3 years to turn the Ferrari into a winner back in the day and the field was weaker than it is at present.

el_dazza · 29 Mar 2010 at 17:45

Mr Jack said:
Can you think of a time when they didn't? Back markers have always loved holding up the front runners when they get a whiff of a chance.

If he's fighting for position, then why shouldn't he stand his ground

Pete19s · 29 Mar 2010 at 17:49

Kitchster_uk said:
Bahrain was a new track to him

Im guessing you mean Schumacher? Even though he won there back in 2004 incidentally the actual first time he had been there.

Duke · 30 Mar 2010 at 08:50

A little write up here about bashing Schumacher - http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=40340 - had to laugh at the digs at the tabloids.

Lunatic Dreyfus · 30 Mar 2010 at 21:45

Mr Jack said:
Can you think of a time when they didn't? Back markers have always loved holding up the front runners when they get a whiff of a chance.

I'm talking about them having the "Red Baron" in their mirrors. I may be mistaken, in fact I probably am, but the "monkeys at the back" used to have far more respect/fear.

Or maybe the field just has a better quality to it. Either way Schumi's in trouble.