I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, there is no room for those once at the top of their game and retired, to make a career-changing, media-hyped comeback. It did nothing for Morrissey or music (my other greatest love) and it’s done nothing for Schumacher.
The hotly-anticipated 2010 comeback allowed more recent World Champion title holders an opportunity to compete with the multiple-title winning driver, and no doubt, one of their childhood legends but after a dismal start to his second returning season, Schumacher has had to face an incredible amount of criticism over his inability to “beat” team mate, Nico Rosberg.
In Schumacher’s defence, that’s like expecting your granddad to know his way around better than you – an electronic word processor, great for its day, not a patch on the Office Suite.
I’ll concede that it IS a completely different sport to when he used to rule the championship and it’s almost admirable that he wanted to challenge himself again, but he never seems to learn – and they say that wisdom comes with age! The move he pulled on Barrichello at the 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix he claimed initially was to make the race ‘spectacular’, though what would have been more spectacular, though undesirable, would have been a crash of astronomical proportion. Anyone see the crash at Brands Hatch in the same week?! Apologising only after fans and media pressure intensified, you may almost mistaken the German for being arrogant - who'd have guessed?!
Following last season, Mercedes Petronas GP made some vague pre-2011 season claims that he would be in contention for the title in 2011 and with some kind of momentum beginning to build in the Chinese GP, in which he showed signs that he still possesses nuggets of that legendary racing flair, the true, ever-loyal Ferrari fans would have no doubt believed he could be a frontrunner.
But like a certain FIA lion, those fans are incredibly biased and often can’t see the calories for all the pasta and sauce. Schumacher is no longer a racing legend. Race-by-race he comes closer to losing all credibility he’s so carefully crafted in past years, to the point of embarrassment. Do him a favour, Mercedes, lose him before he loses it completely.
Showing posts with label Schumacher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Schumacher. Show all posts
Monday, 9 May 2011
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Quali report – Shanghai
Vettel (1:33:70) maintained his consistently strong performance in free practice, then going onto secure pole for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix. Unlike his team mate, Mark Webber, who’s practice sessions had been fraught with a number of mechanical issues. Taking the RedBull car out on the prime tyres, his Q1 session was riddled with understeer, a lack of speed and non-existent KERS, so he struggled to within the 107% only to have Pastor Maldonado push him out into the cold with a slight nudge and take P10.
Fuming he sulked around the garage, whilst the Ferrari team, for a second race running, put both drivers out on two sets of option tyres. Initially this strategy seemed to be paying off as they secured P1 and P2 in Q1. It was not to last as Petrov, showing glimmers of the underdog spirit, taking P1 back just before the end of Q1. In Q2, the Russian put in a flying lap, which secured P4, until a hydraulics failure brought his car to a complete standstill, much to the dissatisfaction of other drivers, notably Barrichello.
Officials red-flagged the session with just over two minutes to go. Cue a scramble into the pits to ensure access at the restart to the frontrunners. Young Sergio Perez won this minor battle, but failed to stave off Alonso, who would only eventually manage a P5.
The restart offered an exciting end to the session, as drivers battled to gain times that would secure a start from the top ten grid positions tomorrow and the McLarens made good use of this, Button (1:34:42) finishing on the front row for the first time since Italy last season and Hamilton in third (1:34:46).
Schumacher continued his frustrated return to Formula One, failing to compete in the second session and being outshone by his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who secured P4. Not the only experienced driver usurped by his younger teammate, rookie Paul Di Resta (1:36:19) made the most notably drive of the day, taking P8 for Force India, leaving Adrian Sutil (1:35:87) at Q2 in 11th position.
As the Scot returned on the inlap, the green and orange car kicked up a bit of a fuss, which may prove damaging to his efforts. Only tomorrow can confirm that one way or other.
Fuming he sulked around the garage, whilst the Ferrari team, for a second race running, put both drivers out on two sets of option tyres. Initially this strategy seemed to be paying off as they secured P1 and P2 in Q1. It was not to last as Petrov, showing glimmers of the underdog spirit, taking P1 back just before the end of Q1. In Q2, the Russian put in a flying lap, which secured P4, until a hydraulics failure brought his car to a complete standstill, much to the dissatisfaction of other drivers, notably Barrichello.
Officials red-flagged the session with just over two minutes to go. Cue a scramble into the pits to ensure access at the restart to the frontrunners. Young Sergio Perez won this minor battle, but failed to stave off Alonso, who would only eventually manage a P5.
The restart offered an exciting end to the session, as drivers battled to gain times that would secure a start from the top ten grid positions tomorrow and the McLarens made good use of this, Button (1:34:42) finishing on the front row for the first time since Italy last season and Hamilton in third (1:34:46).
Schumacher continued his frustrated return to Formula One, failing to compete in the second session and being outshone by his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who secured P4. Not the only experienced driver usurped by his younger teammate, rookie Paul Di Resta (1:36:19) made the most notably drive of the day, taking P8 for Force India, leaving Adrian Sutil (1:35:87) at Q2 in 11th position.
As the Scot returned on the inlap, the green and orange car kicked up a bit of a fuss, which may prove damaging to his efforts. Only tomorrow can confirm that one way or other.
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