2012-13 Silly Season

[F1Fan88]

Such a shame his comeback didn't deliver him glory, would love to see him get a win before the season ends. It's sad that such a legend is calling an end to such an amazing career. No doubt he'll still be involved though.

[Ferrariman60]

I'm glad that I've had the chance to see Michael Schumacher race in Formula 1. Although I started watching in 2005 and never got the chance to see him win championships, there's no question that Schumacher is one of the greatest of all time, and I'm very appreciative of what he's done for the sport for the past 21 years.

[donald29]

Yeah, I never got to see him race other than on TV first time around. Very grateful that I was able to see him at Spa 2011.

Today demonstrated perfectly the problem the print media have. Schumacher announced his retirement about 9am this morning UK time. I flicked through AUTOSPORT in WH Smith's earlier and they were saying Schumacher has been contacted by Williams and is being considered by Sauber and his future will be decided in the coming months. Within a few hours of that hitting the shelves it's out of date.

Also, something that I havn't seen picked up much but Venezuelan elections are on Sunday. As I said before, wonder what implications that will have for Maldonado should Chavez not get re-elected.

[cformula1]

Saddened to see Michael leave again, but it was always going to happen. Lets just hope that before the end of the season we can see him win one more time.

[T97/30]

Also, something that I havn't seen picked up much but Venezuelan elections are on Sunday. As I said before, wonder what implications that will have for Maldonado should Chavez not get re-elected.

Pastor's situation is a tough one, it has to be said. Had he kept himself out of trouble this season and scored some good points along with his victory in Barcelona, he could well have been hot property right now. If that had been the case I have little doubt that he'd have little trouble remaining on the grid next season; with Williams or another team.

However thanks to his on-track antics he is now seen as a risky option for any team, so he's going to have to rely on some sponsorship money still. If that goes down the pan I can't see Williams retaining him for anything beyond one season and unless he cleans up his act, I can't seem finding a seat some place else afterwards. It's not just the team managers that'll have reservations about hiring Maldonado either; sponsors will be just as nervous as they do not wish to have their brand associated in any way with a driver who is seen as damaging to the sport. Because they feel that won't reflect well on them.

[tderias]

Michael's had so much bad luck this season. It's sad really that it has to end this way. Pole on Monaco, that would have been a dream win for him. He's just very unlucky this season... Hope he stays around the sport in one way or another, because his presence will be sourly missed...

[Eric_Cartman]

I'm thankful that I could watch Schumacher for another 3 years. I started watching F1 in 1996 only because of him and he was always my hero until his retirement in 2006. He will leave a big void in F1. I think it's amazing that with his 43 years he was still one of the better drivers in the most competitive motorsport series.

I'm looking forward to his last 6 races and hope that he can achieve some good results before he leaves this sport forever.

[donald29]

Adam Cooper sent out a couple of nice tweets today.

'Lots of criticism of Michael Schumacher flying around, but when he starts his last race he'll be a few weeks shy of 44...

What Michael has done is unprecedented in the modern era and we should be happy that we were there to see it

Let's wait and see if Lewis Hamilton can get a Monaco pole in 2028! Or Sebastian Vettel in 2030. Or Segio Perez in 2033...'

https://twitter.com/adamcooperf1

Looking forward with those examples of when current drivers will be 43, it just emphasises how long Schumacher has been around.

[phil1993]

I got to see Schumacher in action twice, and up close. Something I thought it'd never do. Was his return a success? No. But it wasn't a failure either. It's the right time to go, but he is still, and always will be, a legend.

[donald29]

Sums it up nicely Phil.

[iceman1]

I have to admit that I was an anti-Schumacher before 2006, I really disliked him. But now looking at him driving that car, all I can say that I was lucky to see his races live. Thank you champ!

[phil1993]

Fascinating insight from former F1 Racing editor, now McLaren PR man Matt Bishop...

Flashback to August 25, 2006. We're in Turkey, and FIA race director Charlie Whiting is chairing the drivers' briefing, as he does at every Grand Prix. That evening, one of the drivers present gave me a blow-by-blow account of what went on. This is it:

Whiting whistles through the regulars - 'Please watch out for the blue flags, guys' etc etc - before coming to Any Other Business.

'I want to raise a point,' says Pedro de la Rosa.

Everyone present knows what Pedro's point is going to be, and they aren't about to be disappointed. What follows is a polite but fearless criticism from the veteran Spaniard of the veteran German's race tactics at the previous Grand Prix, in Hungary.

'We've dealt with that, Pedro. It was a racing incident,' says Whiting, trying to keep the peace.

Suddenly, all hell breaks loose.

Nick Heidfeld: 'If it was a racing incident, then why did you back off and let Pedro back past you after you'd cut the corner, Michael? That showed you knew you'd done something wrong, or you'd have stayed ahead of him.'

Everyone: 'Exactly, yeah.'

A pause. Silence.

Alex Wurz: 'Doesn't it bother you that everyone here - some of us with 50, 100 or, like you, even 200 Grands Prix behind us - agrees with Pedro and no-one with you, Michael? Doesn't that make you wonder that perhaps you might be wrong?'

Rubens Barrichello: 'Why don't you say something, Michael?'

Not a word from the seven-times champion.

An angry atmosphere pervades the room. Ralf mutters something to his brother, in German, a language my source cannot speak. I don't therefore know what Ralf said, or what Michael replied, save that it clearly annoyed him. His answer, barked out of the side of his mouth to his little bro, also in German, was icily curt.

Jarno Trulli (his voice shrill with fury): 'Okay, well, let's build a bloody wall at that corner for next year, shall we? That way, no-one will be able to cut it. Then we'll see whether you'll finish the race, Michael. Okay?'

Michael (pointing at Trulli): 'Shut up, you, or else.'

Whiting intervenes, and manages to restore calm. The meeting breaks down. And, as the drivers emerge - and now it's my own eyes that are the witnesses, not my source's, for I was in the paddock as the meeting ended - it's noticeable that our heroes are walking in groups of twos and threes, chatting conspiratorially.

Only Michael is on his own, marching purposefully past any reporter who might seek to waylay him, his face a rictus of enraged discontent, his mouth pursed into the shape of a cat's anus (his trademark paralinguistic trait when he's genuinely livid).

[donald29]

Indeed interesting, I wish we heard more of what went on in driver's briefings. Minutes of British Cabinet meetings are made available after a certain amount of years. I know drivers' briefings are filmed (footage in the Senna movie for example) but are all just sitting at Biggin Hill. It would be fascinating to watch, I imagine there are countless tense meetings featuring the likes of Senna, Prost, Mansell, Schumacher, Villeneuve, Alonso etc. If only Bernie would release them, even if it were x amount of years after they took place.

Compare that Schumacher with the stuff he said today, particularly this part.

'In the past six years I have learned a lot about myself. For example, that you can open yourself without losing focus. That losing can be both more difficult and more instructive than winning. Sometimes I lost sight of this in the early years. But you appreciate to be able to do what you love to do. That you should live your convictions and I was able to do so.'

[MavF1]

So, I got a question for you guys. I have read now on several occasions and on different sites that out of the Torro Rosso drivers, Vergne is "the favoured one" and I always wondered why that is (if it's actually true). It can't be performance, since so far both seem to be pretty much evenly matched. So, what is it? And most importantly, is there anything to back this theory up (like a statement from Marko or sth.)? Just curious.

[iceman1]

Now we can be sure Maldonado will stay at Williams for 2013.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oc ... NETTXT8187