My first thread on Michael was an invitation to bash him and I'm glad we had so many participants. Unfortunately some of the guys didn't behave and eventually our moderators decided to close the thread down. Requiescat in pace!
Obviously now we are pretty sure that the Merc this year is crap and there is little joy for the detractors in bashing the old man or his quick new team mate. But as always there are two sides to life and the less prominent role the Mercedes drivers enjoy this year might give us the chance to appreciate the finer points of their respective performances.
We all love to gossip about the drivers and this thread is meant for catching all the topics that will turn up until the end of the season about the Mercedes drivers. So here we go and I open up with an article I read on Autosport.
Michael and Nico are now comfortably placed at 101 and 67 respectively in the WDC odds. So none of them exceeds 2 % probability to win the championship this year. I guess these odds are bad enough to take some of the emotions out of the topic and simply discuss what is happening this year and not what was happening 1991-2006. Here we have another snippet of Michael's emotional state.Autosport wrote:Schumacher now looking towards 2011
By Edd Straw and Matt Beer Thursday, June 10th 2010, 20:06 GMT
Michael Schumacher says he now regards the rest of the 2010 season as preparation for 2011, with Mercedes looking unlikely to be a factor in this year's championship battle.
The seven-time champion has yet to finish on the podium since returning to the sport, and is ninth in the championship at present - 59 points behind leader Mark Webber.
Schumacher admitted he had initially hoped to be a title contender from the outset, but was now taking a longer term view.
"You think in terms of the championship, that's what is my aim and my focus," he said. "But then at one point you understand that your package is where it is and from there on you have to do a certain programme and process and that's what we are going through.
"The year is still long. I don't think on my side that I'm really in a position to win the championship, it's more building up and organising things for what happens from next year onwards. But you never know, it's still a long year with many points to give."
He insisted he was happy with the progress Mercedes had made so far.
"We are in a build-up process with the team that is going extremely well," said Schumacher. "I'm very happy with how we work together, how we progress. We don't have the package to be in front right now, and after winter testing it was not expected to be. But when I see where we are going, it's very good."
The German added that the Mercedes had not yet allowed him to recapture the feeling he had when on his best form in his initial career.
"Sometimes you have these very special races and moments where things really fit together perfectly and we are not there yet," Schumacher said. "I know I am coming there.
"It's part of the reason that I'm doing this, to get to that point. But you need certain ingredients and we are still searching for those."
Autosport interviewing Schumacher wrote:Q. What is the main difference in your life now to how it was when you left the sport?
MS: I'm probably enjoying it a lot more because I just take the important things seriously.
Q. Is it happier to do it this way – you have less stress?
MS: I'm very happy with how the whole package of my life is going, for the family, the excitement. I've no reasons to complain at all. I feel very relaxed.
Q. Is the stress one of the ingredients that makes you faster, more hungry?
MS: No. I don't need stress!
Q. Are you faster than ever because you are more relaxed?
MS: I don't think I'm faster. I just think that I'm enjoying it more.
