Is Schumi the best? Just look at today in Shanghai....
Jenson Button, as quoted in the Daily Mirror: "At the moment I wouldn't say that Michael was above anyone else in F1. He's just had the best car."
Well, since he said "at the moment," we do not have to look at records in the past one-and-a-half decades - after all, there's frankly no argument there as to who's the best. So what do we have to look at? How about the race just ended in China then, Jensen?
Although little separated the Renaults from the Ferraris during practice at Shanghai (actually, Schumi was fastest in the final practice session), the team in blue and yellow were far superior once rain fell during qualifying yesterday. This time, it wasn't the car, though, but the tyres - Michelin definitely gave its runners an advantage in extreme wet conditions.
Still, Michael did well enough to qualify in sixth position. And to put it in perspective, he was the only Bridgestone runner to qualify in the top 10. We don't really know how Massa would have done had he not been penalised 10 places for an engine change, but he sure hasn't been as fast as Michael in practice nor in qualifying. (Also can't help but wonder if Button himself would have been able to qualify as high up as 4th place had he been on Bridgestones....)
And so, the race had not yet started and almost everyone - Schumi fans excepted - had already written off the 7-times champions in Shanghai.
How did the race pan out? Surely Michael couldn't catch Alonso from 6th place on the wet Shanghai tracks, could he?
It was cold and damp at the start and everyone had their "intermediates" on. Alonso pulled off into the distance as teammate Fisichella expectedly held the chasing pack back. Kimi flew off the blocks and moved up to third past both Button and Barrichello in their Hondas. Schumi, although clearly playing the patience game, soon got past the slipping Hondas and up to fourth.
The 200,000 Shanghai crowd - clad mostly in red and waving flags bearing the emblem of the Prancing Horse - and millions in front of their TVs then watched in amazement as the track dried up and the Michelin tyres started losing their grip. Schumi knew his moment was nigh and soon flew up right behind the No. 2 Renault.
Then the real drama unfolded as Kimi's car broke down yet again while Alonso made a wrong tyre decision during his first pitstop - inexplicably keeping his bald rear wheels on despite changing the front two. This allowed both Fisichella and Schumi to catch up. Although the two Renaults did their best to hold up the Ferrari for a lap or so, Fisi soon had to move past his struggling teammate. Michael overtook Alonso easily after that and continued to chase Fisichella down.
At the 2nd pitstop, when most took the chance to change to dry tyres, Alonso stalled his engine and dropped further behind. Ferrari made the most astute decision of the day when they brought Schumi in one lap before Fisi. This allowed Schumi to overtake the Renault as Fisi struggled for grip on his outlap.
It was Schumi all the way from then on, even as Alonso scored one fastest lap after another and rain fell again with four laps to go. In the end, it was too little too late as Schumi crossed the line more than 3 seconds ahead of Alonso. Massa clobbered into Coulthard and had to retire. Fisi finished a distant third. Button and de la Rosa took advantage of a five-car pile-up just before the finish line to leap-frog Nick Heidfeld and Rubens Barrichello and take fourth and fifth place.
Button had also said in the same article, "We have got (Fernando) Alonso, the World Champion, and Kimi Raikkonen. There are good drivers that people don't recognise because they are thinking about Michael."
Was he referring to himself when he was talking about "good drivers that people don't recognise" because of Schumi? Sure, he is good, but clearly, not good enough (yet or not? That remains to be seen). After all, people are also talking about Alonso and Kimi, in spite of Michael's dominance.
Kimi's biggest weakness was again exposed today. He is very quick - without a doubt. In fact, he could quite possibly be the quickest driver on the circuit today. However, and it is HUGE "however," the many times he has had to retire his car over the past few years cannot just be a big, extended coincidence. Put simply, the question remains if he has the guile to take over as F1's next great champion after Schumi's departure.
Fernando Alonso is the one most likely able to match up to Schumi's lofty standards. Certainly, he seems to possess the right package of speed and guile. The only issue about Alonso is that he may just be a tad too safe - one reason Schumi is so exciting to watch is his penchance for taking the path least expected when victory is at stake.
Time will tell if F1 will produce another legend like Schumi, but if you ask any true afficionado of motor racing, they are likely to tell you that there is no one quite like Schumi in F1 just yet. And we need look no further than today's race in Shanghai for all the evidence we need.
Meanwhile, on the football pitch a continent away, things are looking good as the Arse comfortably beat FC Porto in the CL during the week, and then picked up another 3 points at Charlton last night. We are now 5 points behind Chelski, who could only draw with Villa yesterday, with a game in hand. And what about RvP's peach of a goal last night? Definitely among the most stunning I've ever seen, and quite possibly, the most difficult. What a talent! And to think Arsene almost subbed RvP before that goal! My, my!
Well, since he said "at the moment," we do not have to look at records in the past one-and-a-half decades - after all, there's frankly no argument there as to who's the best. So what do we have to look at? How about the race just ended in China then, Jensen?
Although little separated the Renaults from the Ferraris during practice at Shanghai (actually, Schumi was fastest in the final practice session), the team in blue and yellow were far superior once rain fell during qualifying yesterday. This time, it wasn't the car, though, but the tyres - Michelin definitely gave its runners an advantage in extreme wet conditions.
Still, Michael did well enough to qualify in sixth position. And to put it in perspective, he was the only Bridgestone runner to qualify in the top 10. We don't really know how Massa would have done had he not been penalised 10 places for an engine change, but he sure hasn't been as fast as Michael in practice nor in qualifying. (Also can't help but wonder if Button himself would have been able to qualify as high up as 4th place had he been on Bridgestones....)
And so, the race had not yet started and almost everyone - Schumi fans excepted - had already written off the 7-times champions in Shanghai.
How did the race pan out? Surely Michael couldn't catch Alonso from 6th place on the wet Shanghai tracks, could he?
It was cold and damp at the start and everyone had their "intermediates" on. Alonso pulled off into the distance as teammate Fisichella expectedly held the chasing pack back. Kimi flew off the blocks and moved up to third past both Button and Barrichello in their Hondas. Schumi, although clearly playing the patience game, soon got past the slipping Hondas and up to fourth.
The 200,000 Shanghai crowd - clad mostly in red and waving flags bearing the emblem of the Prancing Horse - and millions in front of their TVs then watched in amazement as the track dried up and the Michelin tyres started losing their grip. Schumi knew his moment was nigh and soon flew up right behind the No. 2 Renault.
Then the real drama unfolded as Kimi's car broke down yet again while Alonso made a wrong tyre decision during his first pitstop - inexplicably keeping his bald rear wheels on despite changing the front two. This allowed both Fisichella and Schumi to catch up. Although the two Renaults did their best to hold up the Ferrari for a lap or so, Fisi soon had to move past his struggling teammate. Michael overtook Alonso easily after that and continued to chase Fisichella down.
At the 2nd pitstop, when most took the chance to change to dry tyres, Alonso stalled his engine and dropped further behind. Ferrari made the most astute decision of the day when they brought Schumi in one lap before Fisi. This allowed Schumi to overtake the Renault as Fisi struggled for grip on his outlap.
It was Schumi all the way from then on, even as Alonso scored one fastest lap after another and rain fell again with four laps to go. In the end, it was too little too late as Schumi crossed the line more than 3 seconds ahead of Alonso. Massa clobbered into Coulthard and had to retire. Fisi finished a distant third. Button and de la Rosa took advantage of a five-car pile-up just before the finish line to leap-frog Nick Heidfeld and Rubens Barrichello and take fourth and fifth place.
Button had also said in the same article, "We have got (Fernando) Alonso, the World Champion, and Kimi Raikkonen. There are good drivers that people don't recognise because they are thinking about Michael."
Was he referring to himself when he was talking about "good drivers that people don't recognise" because of Schumi? Sure, he is good, but clearly, not good enough (yet or not? That remains to be seen). After all, people are also talking about Alonso and Kimi, in spite of Michael's dominance.
Kimi's biggest weakness was again exposed today. He is very quick - without a doubt. In fact, he could quite possibly be the quickest driver on the circuit today. However, and it is HUGE "however," the many times he has had to retire his car over the past few years cannot just be a big, extended coincidence. Put simply, the question remains if he has the guile to take over as F1's next great champion after Schumi's departure.
Fernando Alonso is the one most likely able to match up to Schumi's lofty standards. Certainly, he seems to possess the right package of speed and guile. The only issue about Alonso is that he may just be a tad too safe - one reason Schumi is so exciting to watch is his penchance for taking the path least expected when victory is at stake.
Time will tell if F1 will produce another legend like Schumi, but if you ask any true afficionado of motor racing, they are likely to tell you that there is no one quite like Schumi in F1 just yet. And we need look no further than today's race in Shanghai for all the evidence we need.
Meanwhile, on the football pitch a continent away, things are looking good as the Arse comfortably beat FC Porto in the CL during the week, and then picked up another 3 points at Charlton last night. We are now 5 points behind Chelski, who could only draw with Villa yesterday, with a game in hand. And what about RvP's peach of a goal last night? Definitely among the most stunning I've ever seen, and quite possibly, the most difficult. What a talent! And to think Arsene almost subbed RvP before that goal! My, my!
posted by snowcalla @ 4:21 pm (UTC+8)
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