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Post by Carl on Jan 27, 2023 17:30:01 GMT
I think they are simply extremely focused on the job which can come across as arrogant. Schumacher was extreme at this and so was Senna. That's true for many drivers, as the concentration demanded in motorsport is extreme, but the antics of Senna and Schumacher impressed me as infantile and arrogant writ large, encouraged by a delighted bernie ecclestone, who admired all forms of ruthlessness. |
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Post by Carl on Jan 27, 2023 18:31:27 GMT
Carl, as if...me intimidating... Later on I did watch his interchanges with Johnny Herbert and he was just so different Mr Hyde would have been impressed. I also met Damon at the same time, and it was interesting, he has the most amazing hazel coloured eyes and would not pay any attention to anyone whilst he was working, but once the test stopped he changed also into another very approachable bloke, it did strike me at the time how both of them were quite 'down to earth' and how relaxed they both were out of the limelight, That was a curious and illuminating contrast you witnessed, Chris. My exposure to Schumacher has been restricted to his behavior on course and has little to do with niceness. As one of ecclestone's favorites, he could do no wrong until his cheap trick in Monaco was so outrageous that even the poison dwarf offered no defense. Keke Rosberg called it "the cheapest, dirtiest thing I have ever seen in F1", but I think ramming Damon Hill at Adelaide was worse, even outside the bounds of sanity. Damon's father Graham was famously unapproachable before a race, as great athletes often are. But when a young stranger approached with a smile at Long Beach in 1975, saying "welcome" to the then retired great as he entered race headquarters, the twice world champion smiled graciously and extended his hand. That was in late September, at the qualifying Formula 5000 race in which Hill's young driver was so impressive. Two months later, Graham Hill and Tony Brise were tragically killed in heavy fog only seconds from safely landing at a small English airport.
Tony Brise surprised Al Unser and impressed everyone in the grandstand with this bold pass into Turn 4. He and Unser qualified second and third behind Mario Andretti and took turns winning the two heat races. The superb Lola T332 was one of Eric Broadley's most beautiful designs.
Cheers, Carl |
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Post by René on Jan 27, 2023 19:41:20 GMT
I think they are simply extremely focused on the job which can come across as arrogant. Schumacher was extreme at this and so was Senna. That's true for many drivers, as the concentration demanded in motorsport is extreme, but the antics of Senna and Schumacher impressed me as infantile and arrogant writ large, encouraged by a delighted bernie ecclestone, who admired all forms of ruthlessness. Carl, I totally agree with you. When it was announced that Schumacher would come to Ferrari, I had to get used to the idea at first. And that had everything to do with Adelaide 1994. But in the end I was also pragmatic and understood Ferrari's choice of the best driver and when he started winning I was hooked. But then Jerez 1997 happened and that was a huge disappointment. I really thought he wouldn't do something like that again and his disqualification was justified. Yet I cried of joy when he became world champion in Japan in 2000, 21 years after Scheckter. Conflicting emotions, Schumi guaranteed that. But just like Senna a brilliant driver. And Senna should have been disqualified from the championship after Japan 1990. Such a pity that such exceptionally talented drivers could lose themselves in unsportsmanlike behaviour... |
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Post by robmarsh on Feb 8, 2023 19:52:27 GMT
Don't forget Prost in 1989 at Suzuka. There is no way he was going to make the corner at the angle and distance he turned in. What goes around comes around and maybe had Balestre been firm with Prost some of the rest would not have happened.
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Post by Carl on Feb 8, 2023 21:27:56 GMT
Don't forget Prost in 1989 at Suzuka. There is no way he was going to make the corner at the angle and distance he turned in. What goes around comes around and maybe had Balestre been firm with Prost some of the rest would not have happened. Alain Prost, and later Nico Rosberg, were skilled at psychological warfare that can drive less cerebral teammates half-crazy. An analogy from childhood would be teasing and name calling on the playground leading to a sock on the nose from the one being teased. On the kindergarten playing fields of motorsport, childish behavior often leads to unresolvable headaches for team principals. Others, like Giuseppe Farina, Willy Mairesse and Michael Schumacher were exceptional; their immense sense of entitlement needed no provocation. If they imagined someone was in their way, they simply ran them off the road. |
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Post by René on Feb 11, 2023 11:33:03 GMT
Don't forget Prost in 1989 at Suzuka. There is no way he was going to make the corner at the angle and distance he turned in. What goes around comes around and maybe had Balestre been firm with Prost some of the rest would not have happened. That's true Rob, not Prost's finest moment. Alain was a man of mind games but as a driver, he was always fair and clean as far as I remember. That's probably why the Suzuka '89 clash looked so clumsy. Here's an interesting 2 minutes virtual reconstruction of the moment they clashed. Halfway the video you see the racing lines. |
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