I’ll be honest with you. I have never really been a fan of
Michael Schumacher.
I started watching F1 casually as a youngster but I
really started watching the sport religiously in 2004. This came at the end of his
domination or the "Schumacher years" as some say. My 10 year old self was constantly disappointed and confused as to why he was winning
everything. This was because whilst the
racing in the midfield was close and dramatic, it was all a bit dull out front.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Being 10 years old, predictability was not very popular in my books. I wanted to see drama, new faces on the top step. I grew up supporting Jenson Button and when he lost the lead
to Michael at the San Marino Grand Prix of 2004, frankly I was confused. How
was Schumacher so fast?
Looking back at it now, obviously there is no denying his
speed and skill. He is the master of the wet, but also a driver who is largely
controlled and consistent in the dry. But that period of Schumacher domination
from 2000 to 2004 mirrors a situation that we have seen quite recently. The
machines he drove during that time period were simply sublime. Ferrari and
their designers really got it spot on with the car, meaning no one could beat
them. Recognise something? We have seen the exact same thing with Red Bull,
Vettel and Newey. That partnership is similar to that of Ferrari’s at the time,
so some could argue in both cases that the car flattered the driver’s skill.
However in both cases we have seen them drive cars that are
not so fast, but still get the results. Take Vettel’s awe-inspiring debut win
in the wet at Monza.
It was dominant and in a car, the Toro Rosso, that had not even finished in the
podium positions. Schumacher has had similar results, ones that really show his
race craft. Take the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix, where in similarly wet conditions
Michael dominated on the slippery track. Those moments really make them stand
out, because if we all know the car is the fastest then we know who will win. If
they can outrace a far more superior car or outperform their own machines
expectations (such as Alonso in 2012) then we see they are something special.
Hours spent Reading
and Researching the history of the sport as a young fan has also tarnished my
thoughts on Schumacher. The extremes he went to were simply astonishing,
crashing in to rivals to gift yourself the championship. That is something that
I didn’t agree with. Obviously the Schumacher of then is very different to the
Schumacher of now, and I’m sure he regrets some of the things he did. It flawed
my thoughts on him because before I had only felt annoyance, due to his
constant winning, but after discovering his rather erratic past my feelings
turn to dislike.
Now though, 18 years old and with a more detailed knowledge
of F1’s past and present I see him differently. The desperate measures he took
showed me how much he wanted those championships. Yes they are unsporting, but
no sport is perfect and these things happen on the spur of the moment. It
proved to me that he must have been very passionate about those titles. You
also have to compare him to his team mates to show the true speed he had. For
example Rubens Barrichello was a very good driver, but during their time
together as team mates at Ferrari the win count was stacked in Schumacher’s
favour, 50 wins to Barrichello’s 9. It is solid evidence showing what a great
driver he was and still is as they were in the same car, but Schumacher was
clearly the better driver.
At the time I was not too bothered about Schumacher’s first
retirement at the end of 2006. I saw it logically, he was one of the best
drivers in the world but they all have to retire at some point otherwise no one
else will get a chance. However I see now that he was forced in to the decision
by the signing of Kimi Raikkonen, behind the scenes he really had no choice.
The announcement of Raikkonen replacing Schumacher at Ferrari in 2007 was so
soon after his retirement that I sensed some conversations had already gone on,
leading to him retiring.
I think this is partly why he was so emotional when retiring
the first time and why he never really lost that passion for racing. It is why
he came back. He tried out Motor Bike racing and other formula but it was not
the same, he still had that buzz for Formula 1. I do not agree with his return
to Formula 1 in 2010 partly because I feel he had his chance and he was taking
a new or less experienced drivers pace in a midfield car. I spoke earlier in
the year, in a piece on future stars, about the back log drivers create when
they stay in a team well passed their forties, like Schumacher or De La Rosa.
Yes they have every right to be there but it limits the amount of new talent
that enter the sport. If all F1 drivers did that, there would be a massive back
log in young racing talent and people would simply lose hope and take different
racing paths. This has been helped by the addition of the “new” teams, creating
more drivers.
His return to Formula 1 was frankly disappointing in my
opinion. Obviously this was not helped by a below par car by Mercedes and the
hideous reliability of the 2012 machine but still we rarely saw the Schumacher
of old.
There were a number of incidents during the 2010-2012 period
that made me question his return. The first was his move on Rubens Barrichello
at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2010, when he moved him towards the wall.
Schumacher was trying to fight his ground but he should have known this was
Rubens. He is a fierce competitor and he was never going to back down. Frankly
Schumacher pushed it too far in my opinion; thankfully he left just enough
room. Just.
The almost identical incidents in Singapore also suggest these
doubts. On both occasions he crashed in to other cars. The first was in 2011,
after he misjudged Sergio Perez’s car placement and missed the braking zone. It
was a mistake that a rookie would make. The next season saw him misjudge his
braking point and hit the back of Jean-Eric Vergne.
Those are just a few examples that show how he was past his
best. I completely respect him coming back and giving it a go, we saw flashes
of the Schumacher of old in Monaco
and Valencia
this year. I’m not saying drivers should not race till they are older but in
this situation Schumacher had already achieved everything, he just wanted to
have some fun. It was a sad way for him to end his second stint in Formula 1,
15th in the standings with numerous retirements and a drop off of
pace.
Now my perspective of him has changed. Gone is the annoyance
of his domination because I see and know how good he is. I have a lot of
respect for him and he will always be one of the best drivers ever in my eyes,
but that second stint did not show the Schumacher of old. That is what we
wanted to see and what I wanted to see but I did not. In contrast to his first
retirement, I’m actually sad this time. He may not be but I have grown to
respect him and like him for his personality too. I think the latter is due to
BBC and Sky bringing out the drivers humour and character. In my book he is a
legend of the sport but the ending to the Schumacher fairytale was what was
expected.
What do you think of Michael? Are you a fan? Do you think he should have retired? Comment below if so or tweet me @JackLeslieF1.
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