Finally!

[Mistral1]

Finally F1 becoming interesting when M. Shumacher is not winner of every race in championship! Now I can bet with my friends who will be a winner. What is your opinion?

 

[Robin]

personally I hate shumacher............he seems a right bast**d the way he always runs people off the track...........hell he even hit coulthard and monaco! I stopped watching the sport after he started winning so much......he now deserves to loose to better competition......the sport is finally interesting, now literally anyone can win!

The sport is better now.........

.......however is this my personal opinion 👍

 

[Mr. Mika]

I'm not a Schumacher fan, either.

It's not really the fact that he has won so many races (hell, Rossi is winning everything, but he's something special), but it's the way he wins it.

In the "old days", Schumacher won his races often with an inferior car. Remember 1996? He had some brilliant races, there. But the last 4 years, he has had the best car on the grid and his wins were too boring to watch (with one or two exceptions). The worst thing that could happen was Schuey on pole, putting it into first and dissappear at the horizon.
Also, I think he and his team have proven that they didn't have much respect for the fans. Austria '01 and '02 and also USA '02 were demonstrations of pure disrespect to the fans.

I DO think he's with the top five of the best drivers in history and I also aknowledge that in the past years, we have seen something we'll never see again. But I'm afraid that in 10 years from now, all I can remember about Schumacher is being so very annoyed that he has won again, again and again.

I love the icon that is Ferrari and I have much respect for their achievements, but it's really good for F1 that the tables have turned. For now.

 

[kenton]

Mr. Mika disrespect to the fans? then wtf do you call mclarens team orders between mika hakkinen and david coulthard? or williams with patrese? lets not forget about the jerez 97 collusion where mclaren ran strategy to help JV win the championship, jv was even told to move when the mclarens couldnt even pass jv's damaged car.

 

[A_JKOS]

I too am glad to see Ferrari with an inferior car. For numerous years they have made F1 unendurable now it is better, however with Raikkonen running away with the last two races it seems to have gone from one annoyence to another.

I'd much prefer to see actual racing between Alonso and Raikkonen, rather then one or the other winning. I hope that Renault will have their rear tyre problem sorted by the next race to make it exciting and more tolerable to watch.

 

[Mr. Mika]

Mr. Mika disrespect to the fans? then wtf do you call mclarens team orders between mika hakkinen and david coulthard? or williams with patrese? lets not forget about the jerez 97 collusion where mclaren ran strategy to help JV win the championship, jv was even told to move when the mclarens couldnt even pass jv's damaged car.

Absolutely right. That wasn't very nice too. And as a matter of fact, I'm totally against any form of team orders. But since we're talking about Schumacher, I'm just giving an example of what annoyed me about him and his team.

 

[livemusic]

I am happy to see some real competition after all those years. But I don´t hate MS or anything, he´s by far the best pilot on F1 these days, and one of the best pilots in all the F1 history.

 

[Mopar]

I'm a Mclaren fan so after a disappointing 2004, 2005 is feeling very refreshing. I also am not a big fan of Schumacher even though I did root for him to win when he had his amazing streak at the beginning of last year. I feel like this year I am enjoying the races much more and if Mclaren dominates that wouldn't bother me at all.

 

[Mclaren_Man]

Mr. Mika disrespect to the fans? then wtf do you call mclarens team orders between mika hakkinen and david coulthard? or williams with patrese? lets not forget about the jerez 97 collusion where mclaren ran strategy to help JV win the championship, jv was even told to move when the mclarens couldnt even pass jv's damaged car.

Does anyone know where I could get a video clip of the JV MS crash at jerez 97? I was too young back then and i didn't follow F1 back then I would love to see what actually happened.

Also it is nice to see the Macs doing well especially with Raikonnen, he deserves to finally have some good luck

 

[Blake]

I feel the races are much more entertaining (especially for a McLaren fan) but it's a pitty that Schumacher doesn't have a chance, because I can't really take pride in him being beaten

Blake

 

[snypa]

Mr. Mika disrespect to the fans? then wtf do you call mclarens team orders between mika hakkinen and david coulthard? or williams with patrese? lets not forget about the jerez 97 collusion where mclaren ran strategy to help JV win the championship, jv was even told to move when the mclarens couldnt even pass jv's damaged car.

That's a good point. A lot of people judge only Ferrari about these kind of problems and this is not fair.
Team strategies have always existed. The only difference is that Mac laren acted in a way it was not so obvious, that's all.

Some other examples :
- Williams with Jones and Reuteman in 1981 (he did'nt respect it, and wiliams acted in a way to make him lose the championship)
- Ferrari with Scheckter and Villeneuve in 1979 (Jody, N°1)
- Renault in 1983 with Prost and Arnoux (Rene didn't respect it)

Also some examples of favoritism :
- 1978 : peterson was forced to drive the old lotus (that cost him his life in Monza, the new car was far more robust), while Andretti had the new lotus 78.
- 1987 in williams team (Mansell was the favourite, but piquet got the last word)
- 1988 in mac laren (prost complained about engine differences, quite difficult to judge, but Honda's engineers were all Senna fans)
- 1998 in mac Laren team, already said
- and of course lots of others

Also to add, do you guys know that Fangio earned his 4th title thanks to collins, who simply gave him his car, although he could win the championship himself ?
The only problem is that when it's about michael, it's all said about some machiavelism. When it's around Fangio, it's said it's a gentleman move. That's simply unfair.

I don't say team strategies are unfair, I just want to point out they always have existed. Now, do you really think that Renault won't give orders to fisico one day or another, as it's already finished for him for the title ?

 

[Blake]

You do realise that team orders were common place in the 50s and 60s, and the swapping of cars was very common. It's just the way Ferrari do it is bad, I mean at Austria Schumacher was winning the championship and had no threat, it was just blatent favouritism. If it was one of the last races of the season and the championship was in the balance I'd have no problems. But in the early season when he had double the points of his rivals, that's just stupid and disrespectful to the sport itself.

Blake

 

[Mr. Mika]

You do realise that team orders were common place in the 50s and 60s, and the swapping of cars was very common. It's just the way Ferrari do it is bad, I mean at Austria Schumacher was winning the championship and had no threat, it was just blatent favouritism. If it was one of the last races of the season and the championship was in the balance I'd have no problems. But in the early season when he had double the points of his rivals, that's just stupid and disrespectful to the sport itself.

Blake

That's exactly what I meant earlier. Thank you.

 

[snypa]

I also disagreed what Ferrari did in Austria in 2002, I was the first to be disgusted. I just wanted to point that Ferrari is not alone. Each time people speak about team rules, they think Ferrari. I just wanted to say that other teams did it also, and not systematically at the end of a championship (first GP in 1981 for williams, same for mac Laren in 1998). If other teams sometimes act in a way it is not so obvious, the mathematical result is exactly the same.

Ferrari did a big mistake in 2002 and they finally admited it. In fact, their problem is that they didn't want to hide anything, which hurt people and was bad for the sport of course. Now we're sure all of the teams will be very careful while doing such moves, but it doesn't mean this will cease. Horror will just be replaced by a pure lie.

 

[Jacks]

Personnally i don't watch F1 for the drivers, i watch Formula 1 for the technology. If that means Ferrari produce a car that will enhialate the compatition than well done to them they obviously where the best team at the time. This has made them complacent, and the other teams have had to work. I agree formula 1 is better to watch now, but like i've said in another thread take away all restrictions (except team orders) and i would like formula 1 even more, even if that meant one team winning all the races in one season.

 

[Beelzebub]

as long as one team dont dominate(close races) the season im happy