Michael Schumacher not as adaptable as previously thought?

[segedunum]

I watched Schumacher drive the 2007 ROC live and he didn't come close to setting the world on fire : at one point, he stalled on the line and nearly got lapped by Kovalainen.

One of Schumacher's dirty little secrets is that he's not a terribly talented driver behind the wheel in terms of instinct. I've seen him driving a few different kinds of cars and he and Rubens once drove and electric car. The amount of constant information and reassurance as to what the car was doing from the engineers was insane. Michael's speed comes from a lot of preparation and pounding around a test circuit for hours on end, which he can now no longer do.

He's your typical German - he has a plan and the plan is great when it works. As soon as he has to adapt and react he just isn't the best. I suppose that's probably the same reason why he was going to bail from Ferrari to McLaren.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

One of Schumacher's dirty little secrets is that he's not a terribly talented driver behind the wheel in terms of instinct.

Er, I can list you a ream of examples that counters that.
Can you list me one to prove yours?

Also pounding around fiorano will be good for a driver if he has to race at fiorano.
Not anywhere else, unless its in terms of car updates which make the car faster.
But you are questioning the mans driving, which I find more than a little amusing if you dont mind me saying.

And Schumacher in a McLaren? Was this going to happen?

[marcush.]

7 WDCs ,all stolen by dirty little secrets of a typical german with a pocketplan.

It must be quite easy to win a F1 championship ,according to your views ..being german.

I qualify for this with ease ....

[DaveKillens]

When Michael first broke into Formula One he was blindingly quick. It was a pleasure to watch him hustle his Benetton around. But when he went to Ferrari, it became a case of the team and engineers building a car around his personal preferences. No, Michael is not adaptable. He never was, and to think he is, is allowing yourself to fall victim to fanboy hysteria.

Examine the facts, dig to the truth.

[747heavy]

7 WDCs ,all stolen by dirty little secrets of a typical german with a pocketplan.

It must be quite easy to win a F1 championship ,according to your views ..being german.

I qualify for this with ease ....

=D> like this one a lot =D>
well said Marcus
it´s all fun and games here

[bill shoe]

May I dump on Schumacher too?

He was a moderately quick driver who achieved success with tremendous work ethic and by being a simple bully. When he was successful his bullying was excused. Now that he is a midfield runner his bullying is not accepted. However, he was always a simple bully. His championships were always won before the last race of the season or they were won at the last race of the season by bullying his competitor off the track. In this sense he is not adaptable. He will always be a bully whether or not his speed and the prevailing standards allow it.

I think over the last couple years Schumacher's absence is precisly why F1 driving standards have changed from allowing outright bullying to requiring more legitimate hard and defensive driving. This year for example, the Webber/Vettel Turkey controversy did in fact involve Webber leaving enough room for Vettel. This doesn't compare to 15 years ago when Schumacher chased Damon Hill laterally across the track until he hit Damon.

Now Schumacher has returned but his speed is not fast enough to force the driving standards back as well. I'm obviously not a Schumacher fan, but this is a genuinely interesting situation to watch.

[segedunum]

Er, I can list you a ream of examples that counters that.

Alas, none of those are going to counter the final nail in the coffin of that analysis - this year. Without thousands of miles of testing and constant questions being asked and answered, as well as meticulously designed Bridgestone tyres, he simply hasn't improved one iota.

Can you list me one to prove yours?

My, we're tetchy............. This is more an Andrea Stella quote about Raikkonen, but it gives you the sort of insight into how much information Schumacher requires:

Andrea Stella: "Kimi was able to do so many things behind the wheel that our engineers' advice wouldn't have been of help there. In that sense Kimi is better than Michael Schumacher. When I was working as Michael's data engineer we always had to tell him accurately how he could drive faster in different corners according to the computer. With Kimi you don't need these kind of advice. He finds the solutions himself."

Without lots of testing and practice a driver like that is always going to find things harder when he has to deliver in a short space of time because either the data isn't there or whatever is wrong can't be changed.

Also pounding around fiorano will be good for a driver if he has to race at fiorano. Not anywhere else, unless its in terms of car updates which make the car faster.

What? It's called testing you silly twerp and there's a reason why teams do it.

But you are questioning the mans driving, which I find more than a little amusing if you dont mind me saying.

I'm afraid he's shone the spotlight right on it this year. Without thousands of miles of testing, practice and hand holding from his engineers he's been totally destroyed and the three years away argument simply doesn't wash. He just hasn't improved at all in over half a season.

And Schumacher in a McLaren? Was this going to happen?

WTF? You don't know about this? Say no more..................

[crbassassin]

Does anyone remember BS made tires that are specifically design to work with michael's driving style and the ferrari he drive?

[segedunum]

7 WDCs ,all stolen by dirty little secrets of a typical german with a pocketplan.

Don't ask me. Ask yourself what's different this year. The talent that won 7 championships simply hasn't improved his performances at all in well over half a season. Ask yourself why. He's getting murdered, basically.

I've seen it with Germans. Fantastic meticulous plans, but they do that to hide from pressure and from making on-the-fly decisions. As soon as the plan deviates they panic or simply sink.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Segedenum,

You are saying in essence Schumacher is average.
You are saying Schumacher would drive for Mclaren AFTER Ferrari.
You are contorting the facts to suit your needs of putting down a 7 time champ
(WHY????)

You comparing a 41 year old guy to a man in his prime, after 3 years out in what is intrinsically a new formula.... [-X

Pray tell me(the silly twerp I am) where was Schumachers engineers when he wiped the floor with opposition in the wet? Or when he drove around Spain in stuck in 5th gear?
Because what you are saying is that Schumacher need to be told where speed was to be found.

Yea he isnt a god, we have Senna for that, but he is still better than any driver I have seen in the last 15 years(Hakkinen could possibly beat him in the dry, not much in that).
Clutching at those straws wont make any one of his 7 WDC's dissappear old mucker, I suggest you leave it at that, unless you have anything constructive for poor old twerpy me?

[icef1mkd]

I would question his ethic on and off the track, but not his speed.

[segedunum]

You are saying in essence Schumacher is average.

Explain away this season and explain away the differences then. You can only come to so many conclusions. He isn't even average when measured against drivers in cars that on paper are worse than his.

You are saying Schumacher would drive for Mclaren AFTER Ferrari.

Errrr, no. I'm saying he was ready to jump ship from Ferrari to McLaren. It is well known that Schumacher got disillusioned around 2000 and did talk with Ron Dennis and Mercedes.

You are contorting the facts to suit your needs of putting down a 7 time champ (WHY????)

You're crying into your cheerios at me over this but it's not my problem I'm afraid. There is a disconnect between what he's achieved in the past and the 'talent' that he's shown this season. That's what is really uncomfortable for his fans. The real killer is that he hasn't improved a single millimetre. Not a sausage.

You comparing a 41 year old guy to a man in his prime, after 3 years out in what is intrinsically a new formula.... [-X

You can wag your finger as much as you like. The argument doesn't wash, and frankly it's about the saddest and only one you could come up with. There isn't much difference between Michael now and that of 2006 so it isn't down to him as a driver. Certainly no one at Mercedes is saying that so the problem is elsewhere. Ross Brawn wouldn't be moaning about how the Bridgestone tyres don't suit him. It seems that he doesn't understand that when you put the brake pedal down harder the tyres don't give more grip. In the past he'd simply tell Bridgestone to change their tyres, but that option isn't open to him now.

Because what you are saying is that Schumacher need to be told where speed was to be found.

That's not what I'm saying. That's what engineers who have worked with him are saying. You haven't exactly given a ream of examples that says otherwise.

Clutching at those straws wont make any one of his 7 WDC's dissappear old mucker

He's the one who decided to come back I'm afraid and alas all he's doing is raising a lot of question marks as to how talented he really is and how much of those championships was down to him as a driver. He's been given a car that he has to adapt to and a set of tyres that he can't change, nor can he practice a great deal, and he's been totally and utterly destroyed. He hasn't shown even a glimmer of improvement either even when he's got all the practice in that he should need in races, that's the most striking thing.

I suggest you leave it at that, unless you have anything constructive for poor old twerpy me?

Alas, there's nothing I can do because people are terribly upset over this. I take it you have reams of examples then?

[ringo]

When Michael first broke into Formula One he was blindingly quick. It was a pleasure to watch him hustle his Benetton around. But when he went to Ferrari, it became a case of the team and engineers building a car around his personal preferences. No, Michael is not adaptable. He never was, and to think he is, is allowing yourself to fall victim to fanboy hysteria.

Examine the facts, dig to the truth.

Agreed, he's a hammer head shark in the ocean, but put him on land and he flounders and gets turned to susi by his amphibious teammate.

He's not very adaptable, from what i observe. I think he is one of the fastest when he has the car that fits him, but take him out of his comfort zone and he's just an ordinary driver.
Rosberg is more adaptable as we have seen. He has fit in well to the mercedes, both short and long wheel base, and also figured out the tyres somewhat.

No matter how great a driver Micheal is, he is simply inflexible. Comparing him to his teammate is the best measurement.
I am a fan of his, but for the blinkered fans, I am not saying he is an ordinary driver, or that he is slow. On the contrary he is very talented and quick; however, he is not flexible and requires too much pampering to get the best out of him.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

When Michael first broke into Formula One he was blindingly quick. It was a pleasure to watch him hustle his Benetton around. But when he went to Ferrari, it became a case of the team and engineers building a car around his personal preferences. No, Michael is not adaptable. He never was, and to think he is, is allowing yourself to fall victim to fanboy hysteria.

Examine the facts, dig to the truth.

Agreed, he's a hammer head shark in the ocean, but put him on land and he flounders and gets turned to susi by his amphibious teammate.

He's not very adaptable, from what i observe. I think he is one of the fastest when he has the car that fits him, but take him out of his comfort zone and he's just an ordinary driver.
Rosberg is more adaptable as we have seen. He has fit in well to the mercedes, both short and long wheel base, and also figured out the tyres somewhat.

No matter how great a driver Micheal is, he is simply inflexible. Comparing him to his teammate is the best measurement.
I am a fan of his, but for the blinkered fans, I am not saying he is an ordinary driver, or that he is slow. On the contrary he is very talented and quick; however, he is not flexible and requires too much pampering to get the best out of him.

+1 to both posts

[marcush.]

i am genuinly surprised
by Michaels lack of being able to adapt to the circumstances enough to beat nico and
the last statements here...