Schumacher: Time to Quit?

If keeping Shumi means Mercedes keep coughing up the cash to develop the car then it's a no-brainer for Ross... he'll be wanting to make the best car.

Should he go...?
Yes, for personal reasons (never liked him) and professional (he's not performing).

Just curious, why does no one seem to think that Nico R can't help develop a car? he's plenty of experience now and was highly rated (I thought) by Williams's enginering team. We know he's fast and bright (aero-engineering degree?) and should be a better prospect than Nick Hiedfeld who may be quick but doesn't turn up my enthusiasm. Personally I think there is a lot to be said for a Rosberg / Hulkenberg partnership.
 
siffert_fan said:
Grizzly,
That is exactly the point. 2009 is starting to look like it was a matter of being lucky more than anything. 2010 and this year haven't exactly burnished his infallability reputation have they?

To be fair to everyone, however, we really need the FIA to stop changing the rules every year. DRS, KERS etc. Leave the regs alone and allow all of the teams to develop their cars. Stop making each season a crap shoot.
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Oh' they were lucky to stay ahead at the end of the season, but i believe it was Brawns team at Honda that developed the car, then when Honda went, they took all the money... No excuses for 2011, but in 2010 the team was in desperate trouble because whilst everyone else was looking to 2010 this time two years ago, Brawn did not have that luxury because they were desperately trying to keep the car competitive with the tiny amount of money they could scrounge. That really hurt the 2010 bid. I think fundamentally Merc have a good car this year, they have some problems to iron out, but i think they have and are moving forward.

If Brawn deserves any criticism, i think it needs to come in the form of driver selection, because it is plain to see there is nothing left in Schumi.

Sorry Schumi, but it does not take a season to become fast nor familiar with the kit. Di Resta has shown that this year, Kobayashi showed us last year, Vettel did it in 08-09. Lewis did it in 07. Lest we forget your first few races in F1!
 
In 2009 after the Brawn/Fry buyout
Honda decided on a management buyout and sold the team to Ross Brawn and Nick Fry, and provided them with operating costs for 2009, as it was cheaper than dissolving the team and laying off the entire workforce. On March 6, 2009, Brawn-Mercedes was born.
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You could argue about what Newey was doing in the Coulthard Red Bull years. In both cases I think a period of stability is required for success. It was no different when Ross went to Ferrari - the first couple of cars were pretty ropey, though Schumacher flattered them to some extent.

Ross went to Honda, as it was then, with a brief to show a return on their enormous investment. He then had to deal with, concurrently, becoming a team owner and winning a championship. Now under Mercedes the team is considerably smaller both in terms of head count and budget. I've no doubt that the team will win races with him at the helm - very possibly this season - but I think rarely do you see teams achieve a major turnaround overnight.
 
If he isn't on the podium any time soon it will be time to go. He has been taking a battering by Rosberg ever since Bahrain 2010.
 
I think you are being a little harsh on Schumacher here....I have seen an improvement, in qualifying on two occasions (Malaysia and China) the DRS ruined his laps as they weren't functioning properly, costing him to get into Q3. In Melbourne the car was all over the place, however he seemed to be even with Rosberg there...(both cars retired very early I know).

I think he's doing well, if he qualifies up in Q3 round about 6th or 7th then we will see, right now he's been starting 11th or so...then getting caught up behind slower cars.

As for Rosberg, his performances last season were great, consistent. This year I can't judge because he was out in Melbourne after a short while, Malaysia qualified ahead of Schumacher but was off the pace and somehow ended 15th or so. In China he was doing great, but I think Schumacher would have been quite near him if he qualified in the top 10 without the wing problem.

So I think there has been an improvement...certainly from last year. His qualifying pace isn't what it used to be, but I still think he has it in him to get a podium in this car.
 
Time waits for no-one and resistance is futile. I think after this season it'll be time for Schumi to take his bow and maybe go endurance racing - especially Le Mans - where he could still do something special with his experience and skill. I don't understand why he is subjecting himself to such humiliation in what has inevitably become a younger person's sporting category.
 
slyboogy21 said:
I think you are being a little harsh on Schumacher here....I have seen an improvement, in qualifying on two occasions (Malaysia and China) the DRS ruined his laps as they weren't functioning properly
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There is always an excuse for him though, isn't there? Was Rosberg's DRS working in both Q2s; I seem to remember it wasn't.
 
teabagyokel said:
There is always an excuse for him though, isn't there? Was Rosberg's DRS working in both Q2s; I seem to remember it wasn't.
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Yes his was actually...

Considering that the DRS can cost a you a lot of laptime...I think it is a very valid point/excuse.
 
Fenderman said:
Time waits for no-one and resistance is futile. I think after this season it'll be time for Schumi to take his bow and maybe go endurance racing - especially Le Mans - where he could still do something special with his experience and skill. I don't understand why he is subjecting himself to such humiliation in what has inevitably become a younger person's sporting category.
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The guy has nothing to prove anymore and i think the only reason why he returned is because of his love for the sport, rather than to be dominant again.
 
Hmmmm, yes that and the challenge. Not a great believer in top flight drivers feeling the need to "prove" themselves to anyone. I think they need a certain degree of arrogance and definately masses of self belief just to make it into F1, let alone survive in it. Hats off to him for having another go, but reality has to kick in sometime.
 
Hi guys,

I;ve decided to join the crew on here

Schumacher said he would only drive for Ross Brawn

The problem is Mercedes want to fulfill this wish that they have the greatest German driver winning in the greatest German car company...and they have been waiting for 20 years after failing to get him to drive for Sauber - MErcedes ( which would have become full factory Mercedes) and Mclaren Mercedes

Schumacher won't quit because it will only hurt his reputation further more than it has already ..I should China he still had some racecraft in defending robustly against Alonso and Webber and he did not make Q3 because his wing did not work

Schumacher's failures actually look bad on those big wigs at MErcedes who thought it was okay to drop the reigning world champion Button then and offer him paltry money to stay but then offer Schumacher £20m a year despite saying they needed to save costs in sacking a whole load of factory workers

So some big bosses at Mercedes have their jobs on the line
 
Il_leone said:
Hi guys,

I;ve decided to join the crew on here
Click to expand

Hi Il_leone, and welcome to Clip the Apex. Another 606 refugee, I see.

Il_leone said:
Schumacher's failures actually look bad on those big wigs at Mercedes who thought it was okay to drop the reigning world champion Button then and offer him paltry money to stay but then offer Schumacher £20m a year despite saying they needed to save costs in sacking a whole load of factory workers

So some big bosses at Mercedes have their jobs on the line
Click to expand

Good point. Any ideas who? Norbert Haug perhaps, or higher? Do you think the decision to let Button go and get Schumacher in was made at the very top level, outside of the F1 team itself?
 
Il_leone said:
Schumacher's failures actually look bad on those big wigs at MErcedes who thought it was okay to drop the reigning world champion Button then and offer him paltry money to stay but then offer Schumacher £20m a year despite saying they needed to save costs in sacking a whole load of factory workers

So some big bosses at Mercedes have their jobs on the line
Click to expand

I don't know how's it done this year at Merc, but last year Schumi was paid only by sponsors.
 

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