Rosberg expects a level playing field at Mercedes

[Rob W]

Barrichello: "Yeah. Get out of there! That is the only thing I can tell him. He needs to drive fast and don't crash: Ross will always tell you that before the race."

"Knowing what I know, and seeing how fast Michael went today, it is going to be a tough job. I wish him all the best because I think he is a talented boy who can be World Champion."

"If he has the chances of being World Champion in the same team as Michael, then he can be World Champion anywhere. Let's put it this way."

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954, ... 43,00.html

[Belatti]

... When he was occasionally beaten by Massa he accepted that and simply worked harder to beat him the next time. And it usually worked out that way. I expect nothing different at Merc.

I agree with this.

Schumacher, like or not is a really hard worker. When he looses, he puts his head down and works his *ss out to improve. I have never heard him crying the way Barrichello does.


And BTW, that Barrichello quote is from a BIG crybaby. I really feel sorry for him!

[WhiteBlue]

Barrichello: "Yeah. Get out of there! That is the only thing I can tell him. He needs to drive fast and don't crash: Ross will always tell you that before the race."

"Knowing what I know, and seeing how fast Michael went today, it is going to be a tough job. I wish him all the best because I think he is a talented boy who can be World Champion."

"If he has the chances of being World Champion in the same team as Michael, then he can be World Champion anywhere. Let's put it this way."

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954, ... 43,00.html

"I am confident from last year that I can do well, I don't have a problem. It's going to be challenge, of course, because I'm up against one of the greatest of all time. From his (Barrichello's) point of view, he was beaten for six years so it doesn't surprise me that he says that."

[Rob W]

Barrichello: "Yeah. Get out of there! That is the only thing I can tell him......

"...(Barrichello's) point of view, he was beaten for six years so it doesn't surprise me that he says that."

I agree there is always a comeback to the sort of quotes Rubens made but you could say he knows the workings a hell of a lot better than Rosberg - no matter how he performed. Rubens and others, Coulthard when he left McLaren and Irvine when he left Ferrari, somehow seem to suddenly put on their truth suits and talk more freely about the workings of their former team.

Whether it's a case of wishful memories or they simply have a superb inside knowledge is down to opinion. I'd tend to take Rubens comments on working with Schumacher as being 20 times more valid than Nico's increasingly common quotes which aim to justify his position in the team.

[WhiteBlue]

Rubens is simply one more man in a long line who measured his skills and talent with Schumacher and discovered that on most days he did not measure up. That can be hard on the ego and people deal with it in different ways.

Piquet
Brundle
Patrese
Lehto
Verstappen
Herbert
Irvine
Barichello
Massa

From this list only Piquet avoided a defeat. He ran five races against Schumacher and was outqualified 4:1. Due to two Schumacher DNFs he collected more points in the races. He then retired from F1 to drive Indy cars.

All other Schumacher team mates simply did not have the speed to beat him regularly. Guys like Herbert or Irvine did admit it. Others like Rubens cannot live with the experience and rationalize around it. It is simply Rubens nature to think he is as good or better than the other guy in the same car even when the facts speak against that . Just compare how Rubens acted when he realized that Button was faster and would take the championship for Brawn. To the day Rubens speaks as if he was fighting for the championship with Button in the end. He completely forgets that he was also beaten by Vettel who was on average in an inferior car.

The Schumacher team mate story is very simple on the result side. He beat them all. The only question mark that remained over the years was his influence in the quoice of his team mates. Todt trusted so much in his abilities that he gave him a voice in the driver selection and he never had to regret it unless you think that a stronger team mate had won the 1999 campaign. As 2000-2004 showed Ferrari did very well with Todt's policy and I dare say they had done better in 2007-2009 if the dream team had continued their way.

If you have two very disciplined drivers it may be advantageous to go for equally strong talents but the 2007 story at McLaren clearly showed that you are up to your neck in trouble when a rival teams exploits your weakness by strict team policy. So it is all very sporting what McLaren do but the fun will stop when drivers disagree with necessary team orders. That does tend to happen quite regularly.

For Nico Rosberg it is a question of keeping his nerves and waiting for Schumacher to retire finally. If he does a very good job and looks better than Vettel he may inherit the lead driver role. It will not be a long term problem for him if he is beaten more often than he beats Michael. His job is to show Mercedes that he can replace Schumacher when the time comes.

[Rob W]

Rubens is simply one more man in a long line who measured his skills and talent....

.....The only question mark that remained over the years was his influence in the quoice of his team mates....

I agree with most of your post except the "only question mark" comment. There is no evidence at all that this was the only thing.. for all we know and, as has been hinted at for many years, he was given preference in technical updates, test he chose to be part of, in pit crew and even tire batches.

Saying he had equality with his team-mates and the sole reason he dominated was talent ostensibly has less merit than you suggest there is in claiming he was the preferred driver by policy.

There has been plenty of (albeit sometimes fringe) evidence from former team-mates and races that he did indeed get preferential treatment which elevated his results. Team orders being the most known one.

Thinking Rosberg is on equal treatment based on lack of evidence otherwise and Rosberg's or Brawn's say-so to the media couldn't be considered evidence of anything other than smart handling of the media.

I'll make the prediction right now: If Schumacher doesn't establish himself as the clear achiever of the team he'll retire at the end of the year or before. Medical, motivation or family reasons will be given.

[mx_tifoso]

Rosberg accused Schumacher of making dangerous on-track moves legitimate (post Abu Dhabi 2009).
http://www.crash.net/f1/news/155650/1/r ... erous.html

I wonder if he would have said that had he known they were going to be teammates.

[Belatti]

Rubens is simply one more man in a long line who measured his skills and talent with Schumacher and discovered that on most days he did not measure up. That can be hard on the ego and people deal with it in different ways.

Piquet
Brundle
Patrese
Lehto
Verstappen
Herbert
Irvine
Barichello
Massa

.

You forget DeCesaris....

read this article written by an Argentine journalist that I translated using google

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... a-la-f1%2F

[WhiteBlue]

There has been plenty of (albeit sometimes fringe) evidence from former team-mates and races that he did indeed get preferential treatment which elevated his results. Team orders being the most known one.

First, Ferrari have never had a problem issuing team orders if they thought that was the better way for the team. They only care for themselves, not for their drivers. It is part of being a Ferrari driver. When he had to go back to racing after braking his leg it happened to Schumacher as well. Same thing happened to his replacement Mika Salo who would have won the German GP if he hadn't been ordered to hand it to Irvine. It is extremely blue eyed to think there is no team order at Ferrari or any sensibly managed team.

Second, of course Schumacher got preferential treatment, most notable when the new car wasn't ready for the season and Schumacher drove the only available chassis. But again this is the way things are done at Ferrari. In a pinch they give it to the man who can make more for Ferrari. If a team mate complained obviously they thought the man wasn't the better one.

Third, if you listen to all the noises disgruntled team mates have made you will also have read the stupid things Ruben said. He once complained that Michael got better rental cars and higher pay. How dumb is that?

I'll make the prediction right now: If Schumacher doesn't establish himself as the clear achiever of the team he'll retire at the end of the year or before. Medical, motivation or family reasons will be given.

I bet they have a ton of contractual clauses to cover that. Everybody would in such circumstances. It is only natural. Add to your triggers if the car isn't capable of winning races.

[WhiteBlue]

Rubens is simply one more man in a long line who measured his skills and talent with Schumacher and discovered that on most days he did not measure up. That can be hard on the ego and people deal with it in different ways.

Piquet
Brundle
Patrese
Lehto
Verstappen
Herbert
Irvine
Barichello
Massa

.

You forget DeCesaris....

read this article written by an Argentine journalist that I translated using google

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... a-la-f1%2F

Thanks for that one, Belatti. I knew the gist of it but not how embarrassing the practise and qualifying went for de Caesaris.

BTW, the Jordan at Spa is one of the most beautifull cars Schumacher ever drove.

[WhiteBlue]

Rosberg accused Schumacher of making dangerous on-track moves legitimate (post Abu Dhabi 2009).
http://www.crash.net/f1/news/155650/1/r ... erous.html

I wonder if he would have said that had he known they were going to be teammates.

Yeah, we deal with this on page 2 of this thread: viewtopic.php?p=139391#p139391

The house of Rosberg has never been pro Schumacher heartland. Keke was competing against Schumacher in the 1991 LeMans series and at LeMans. Someone hinted that he got his ass handed by the young German but I could never find evidence.

The link Belatti provided above indicates that Keke may have chased the Jordan drive that Michael got.

Keke also managed JJ Lehto who got his ass handed by Michael and managed Mika Hakkinen who had a life long rivalry. So there are enough reasons why Nico was brought up in a tradition of criticizing Michael. He did it naturally.

[mx_tifoso]

Thank you WB, but I ran into it today and thought it hadn't been mentioned before.

To be honest I've been out of whack the entire day. I shouldn't have even touched a computer today.

[Mr Alcatraz]

You forget DeCesaris....

read this article written by an Argentine journalist that I translated using google

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... a-la-f1%2F

Great stuff Belatti!! Thanks for the read

[WhiteBlue]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81267

With Heidfeld waiting in the wings there is a certain redundancy which will not go unnoticed in Monaco. So I'm looking forward to Keke's comments when the season starts. He is commentator at SKY Germany which I'm subscribed to.

[Giblet]

Critisizm and observation are not mutually exclusive.

Things that MS has done are completely worthy to be critical of, and I am sure MS knows this, as was reported in the tearful meeting behind closed doors with the drivers at the Monaco race where he was served humble pie by the whole field. (Rascassegate)