I say it,
so it should be so. Cause I know, what there is to know.
Archived articles.
Save or Sport – F1 cost reduction.
The qualifying merry-go-round. Will it ever stop?
F1 off season testing. Deciphering the enigma.
Early 2006 form guide…..Was I right or was I right? Um….
The
King is Dead. Long Live the king!
Michael’s
leaving?
Why,
you ask?
Well….read
on.
It's
an honour that we've been witness to such a career.
Michael
Schumacher, directly after the conclusion of
the
race at
2006.
After
being badgered by the F1 journalists on the topic for
three
quarters of the racing season, and a lot of soul searching,
the
decision to hang up his helmet must have been a difficult
one.
It's been obvious throughout Schumacher’s stint at Ferrari,
that
his involvement in the team has been more than that of
a
guy who drives the cars really really fast. When he came to
Ferrari
in 96, having just won his second Championship for
Benetton,
Ferrari were in a shambles. Ferrari had a reputation for
being
a typically Italian team, with more passion and spirit
than
ability to systematically and methodically engineer a car
capable
of winning. Bringing with him, his race engineer Ross
Brawn,
Michael provided Ferrari with leadership and focus
as
well as unprecedented speed.
Currently
he is in a tight fought scrap for the 2006 Drivers
championship.
With only a deficit of two points to his rival
Alonso
and a whole heap of momentum in the car development
race,
it seems more and more likely that he will wind up his
driving
career with his 8th drivers crown. His performances
have
left little question that he is still at the top of his game
physically
and mentally.
In
addition he has also stated that driving F1 cars is still
fun.
His motivation for driving, developing
the car and
striving
to win at all cost is also abundant.
So
why is he leaving? Why not stay on another year at least,
when
Bridgestone will be the sole tyre supplier and Ferrari
are
expected to romp away from their competitors? Has he
gotten
bored of winning championships? Very unlikely. Having
been
adopted by the Ferrari family, Michael must feel a
certain
sense of ownership in the team. He had, pretty much,
single
handedly revived the winning spirit of Ferrari in the
modern
era. Yet, it seems he feels that the Ferrari is bigger
than
any driver. More important than adding to a record that
is
already practically impossible to better.
Had
Schumacher decided to continue, then undoubtedly it would
have
been for no longer than 2 more years. At the ripe old
age
(for an F1 driver) of 37 years, there is only a limited
time
that someone can maintain the peak physical fitness that
is
required to drive F1 cars. Raikonnen has also
been waiting
patiently
in the wings. Much needed fresh blood to assimilate
into
the team. Blood that could power Ferrari's success for
years
to come.
Raikonnen
is confirmed for 2006. Jean Todt has always praised
Raikkonnen
as a driver of ample talent. A driver he coveted
for
Ferrari. So, It was an obvious situation that when Raikonnens
contract
with McLaren was finishing, that Todt would do his
utmost
to sign the superstar driver to replace an aging
Schumacher.
It's been reported, although denied by Todt, that
Raikonnen
had already signed a letter of intent as early as
last
season. One would assume soon after Alonso’s signing, that
had
been penned without Raikonnens knowledge and then revealed
to
the F1 fraternity before Raikonnen had been consulted.
The
paddock speculation was that Raikonnen had grow frustrated
with
McLarens inability to build a championship winning car. His
bargaining
power would also have been dulled with the confirmed
imminent
arrival of a world champion. Ferrari was the car he
wanted
to drive, but he wasn't going to play second fiddle to
Schumacher.
The team had traditionally upheld the "leader
and
the support driver" philosophy, and the only way that
Raikonnen
would drive along side Schumacher would be on equal
status.
It was unlikely Ferrari would ever change their policy.
Of
course, Ferrari could not risk letting Raikonnen fall into
the
hands of a competitor. They needed to snap him up or risk
having
the fastest car in F1 without a driver capable of
taking
it to the limit. An unacceptable situation. So It
seemed
Ferrari wasn't big enough for the both of them.
So
was Schumi booted for the sake of Ferrari? I don't think so.
Michael
also stressed that fact very soon after his announcement
to
retire. It's my belief, that had Schumacher demanded to drive
for
another two years, then, he could have. Ferrari, despite
their
prestigious heritage are indebted to Michael and Michael,
sees
Ferrari as his family. The golden boy gets what he wants,
when
he wants it, and rightly so. This season has shown that
Michaels
motivation and ability have not diminished and that
he
is enjoying the competitive resurgence of Ferrari. Still, it took
a
long time for him to decide what he was going to do next year.
He
had so many things to consider, but rather than being selfish,
and
taking to the cockpit next year, he is stepping down for
the
good of Ferrari’s future.
F1
will be left with a void, but hopefully not for too long,
as
Alonso & Raikonnen go into battle to take over Shumi's mantle.
Both
extremely fast and both 100% committed. Other young
chargers
are entering the sport too, so F1 will generate as much
interest
as ever, but one things for sure. No longer will we have
to
read another Formula one article speculating when the great man
will
retire. He has and it's done. Now lets wait for the comeback.