[...] They didn't necessarily gravitate to the fastest car. They brought a understanding to the teams that allowed the teams to build cars that were fast enough for them to do what they needed it to.FoxHound wrote:@ raptor
You still not getting what I'm saying. I'm aware the best drivers generally gravitate to the fastest cars.
However in Schumachers case, in 18 seasons he has had a car capable of winning in 11-12 of those seasons. I'll exclude 1991, 92, 93, and generously 1996 and 2010-11-12.
Other than Hamilton, has any driver ever had such luck?
This is quite involved but essentially these drivers had a mechanical understanding of their cars that allowed the engineers to understand what their requirement was and to be able to translate that into mechanical design. Its a SYMBIOTIC relationship.
Schumacher in the case of the 412T just brought a better set up to the car that Berger and Alesi could not. Those two drivers were both in Benetton's in 1996 and they were rubbish in that car because neither understood the car enough to get it working for them. Were both rubbish drivers? No but they lacked the mechanical understanding to take a car to the next level
You argue that the car was good so the best drivers went there. Wrong. The best drivers are able to work with their engineers to create the best car FOR THEM!
Examples: When Senna went to McLaren for 1988 he had no idea what the MP4/4 as going to be like. The MP4/2c was problematic. All he knew was that the Honda engine was powerful and economical and that he would have an edge with it. More importantly when he met the engineers he would be worked with and Gordan Murry, he was pleased that they accommodated some of his requirements for the car like a variable rate mechanical linkage on the throttle ( cam essentially), different brake callipers etc. Having that degree of input helps a driver to stack the deck in his favour.
Schumacher did the same at Ferrari. Working with Rory Byrne he knew that Byrne would be able to deliver a car allowing sufficient adjustment for him to experiment with in 1997. The F310 he knew was going to be a problem because John Barnard wouldn't change the front end suspension geometry to suit Schumacher. Barnard believed in building cars that tend toward controlled understeer. Byrne changed that to car that was more neutral and tending toward oversteer. Which is exactly how Schumacher wanted the 412T to be set up in the post season testing and bang, it was instantly faster.
Building cars to suit drivers needs is a hall mark of Adrian Newey. One of the reasons Adrian likes working with Webber is because Webber they agree on what a race car should feel like.
Vettel went to RedBull and got into a car that was adjustable enough to suit his style but was essentially built around Mark Webber (who had threatened in 2008 to score RedBull's first win on occasion).
