Michael Schumacher retires.

[slowpoke]

Think of his whole career and try to say that without looking like a fool.

The only fool is someone who thinks drivers are the biggest part of operating a successful F1 team.

You probably can't even remember when F1 cars were designed without a wind tunnel, or had a gear lever or ran without traction control, launch control and a Cray supercomputer parked in the back. Can you remember when passing manouvers occurred on the track rather than in the pits?
In fact you probably can't even remember F1 without Ferrari and it's only relatively recently that they returned.

Are you denying that for the past 10 years it's become damn near impossible to pass thanks to the aerodynamics?

Are you denying that Ferrari have got far and away the biggest budget of any F1 team?

Are you denying he deliberately crashed into Damon Hill to deny Hill the championship?

Are you denying he tried the same thing on Jacque Villneuve?

Yup, he's a good driver as his early titles show....but driver input now days is far less important than in days gone by. You are kiddin' yourself if you think otherwise.

[SimJen]

He was a good driver, but for me his career will be overshadowed by his few indiscretions. As a professional they shouldn't have happened.
Senna was the better man/driver
I had a video of Senna onboard at Monaco, changing gears with a real gearstick 110 changes a lap, driving mostly one handed. They were the days of real skill when drivers would almost collapse after a race with blistered hands and feet.
Still things move on I suppose but I still reckon that wing area should be half and tires should be half the width with no electronic driving aids.
GP2 is a better formula because of the stuff they don't have.

[steved]

I still miss Mika Hakkinen. That guy was great.

[Swoop]

I like him, and that famous German sense of humour...

[SimJen]

Mika was so laid back he was almost asleep. He was almost as exciting as Kimi AKA the worlds most boring man.

[Dooly]

Mika was so laid back he was almost asleep. He was almost as exciting as Kimi AKA the worlds most boring man.

But boy, Kimi can sink the piss!

[willy_01]

Quote


"Think of his whole career and try to say that without looking like a fool."

I agree, he was quite the talent in karting circles before f1 I believe. Anyone who has piloted a 2 stroke 250cc kart will know that driver input is the most important part of going fast around corners (they are so damn easy to spin - solid rear axel) and they are no slugs one holds/ did hold the Taupo track record , so credit where it is due, he is without question the new benchmark in F1. I draw a comparison with the Maclaren F1 (road car), sure it had its flaws but was undoubtedly the 'best' performance car, due in part to its uncompromising nature.

[sAsLEX]

due in part to its uncompromising nature.

replaced now by the Koinegsegg CCX with the top gear wing.

"it sounds like a norse god of thunder gurgling a hammer"

" it is better to go through st peters gates backwards in a flaming fireball at 200MPH"

[outlawtorn]

Dont forget mind bogglingly rich

Shit, now there's another thing to add onto the list........I wonder if he'll adopt me? I'm potty trained!

[SimJen]

replaced now by the Koinegsegg CCX with the top gear wing.

"it sounds like a norse god of thunder gurgling a hammer"

" it is better to go through st peters gates backwards in a flaming fireball at 200MPH"

Yeah but the CCX while quicker isn't any better, its still compromised and full of leather and stereo etc.
The McLaren F1 is completely designed with the driver in mind right down to the middle seat driving position. I'd have the F1 anyday or an F40
A superbikes more fun anyways....

[steved]

Mika was so laid back he was almost asleep. He was almost as exciting as Kimi AKA the worlds most boring man.

I just loved his sense of humour.


Brazil 1998 - Post Race Interview
Interviewer: You set pole position and 10 fastest laps during the race today, was there anything else that you could have done?

Hakkinen: [pauses] No.

Audience member: Take a coffee?

Hakkinen: Yeah, probably!

Spain 1998 - Post Race Interview
Interviewer: Mika, the perfect flags to lights victory. It looked very easy, was it?

Hakkinen: Oh yeah it was so easy, you can't believe it.

[Long pause, silence]

Hakkinen: No it wasn't.

[willy_01]

A superbikes more fun anyways....

haha you reckon? I think id have more fun in the CCX due to the computers overiding my gimpy inputs - thus living to tell the tale. From what I've read the Mc F1 is very much like a powerful bike in a sense, if you upset it, your going to die. I reckon id be faster around a track in a less powerful car that has all the computer aids ie fords new GT than something that has a no comprimise power-to-weight focus like the Mclaren F1 or the 07 GSXR1000 (my feeble attempt to get back on topic).

[sAsLEX]

haha you reckon? I think id have more fun in the CCX due to the computers overiding my gimpy inputs - thus living to tell the tale. From what I've read the Mc F1 is very much like a powerful bike in a sense, if you upset it, your going to die. I reckon id be faster around a track in a less powerful car that has all the computer aids ie fords new GT than something that has a no comprimise power-to-weight focus like the Mclaren F1 or the 07 GSXR1000 (my feeble attempt to get back on topic).

umm the CCX has no driver aids!

You fuck up your dead, and it bites and bites hard Jeremy Clarkson was struggling to control the thign

[Drunken Monkey]

... Jeremy Clarkson was struggling to control the thign

That's no guage, Jeremy Clarkson can't drive for shit. The only thing on his side is he more experience than the average man in a less than average cars.

[sAsLEX]

That's no guage, Jeremy Clarkson can't drive for shit. The only thing on his side is he more experience than the average man in a less than average cars.

The stig stuck it through a tire wall as well, and he can drive!

The top gear dvd has the full cokpit view of his F1 lap on their test track impressive to say the least.