Die hard fans like me, who have followed Formula - 1 (F-1) since 1984 (a whopping 20 years) have seen the evolving and diminishing careers of greats like Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Jean Alesi, Gerhard Berger, Mika Hakkinen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Kimi Raikonnen. These drivers have evolved F-1 into the sport it is today.
From no re-fuelling, no pit stop strategy, racing slicks with different widths for front and rear tires, single tire manufacturer, no ABS, no traction control, no launch control, no automatic and semi automatic gearboxes, F-1 is vastly different than what it has been a decade ago.
Older F-1 drivers had to wrestle the car to stay on track while changing gears fighting to keep a 1300 bhp turbo-charged monster under control. (Today’s F-1 cars are a measly 900 bhp). ‘Manhandling’ these mean machines was a tiring effort and drivers used to collapse from sheer exhaustion after a race was completed. F-1 drivers these days hardly have to do anything other than yawn while in the car. The in-car footage shows the drivers hardly moving the steering. It looks like my grand mother serenely driving along. As Niki Lauda remarked in 2003, even a monkey can drive a modern formula 1 car.
I feel that the F-1 stewards and the rule makers have been biased to Ferrari and to Michael Schumacher. They seem to turn a blink eye their infractions. If other drivers make the same mistakes, then they are penalized heavily. The interesting thing about Schumacher is that he is prone to making mistakes under pressure. These glaring mistakes come at the worst possible times making the viewer wonder if Schumacher really can stand intense pressure.
1994, Adelaide: It came down to the wire. The last race of the season: Do or Die for Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill. Schumacher had the advantage of a solitary point over Hill. At the start, Schumacher edged ahead of pole sitter Mansell and Damon Hill did the same. On lap 32, with Hill breathing down Schumacher’s neck, Schumacher cracked under the pressure, went off and hit a wall. Hill tried to pass the German but Schumacher turned into his path. The Benetton was launched up onto two wheels and then went nose first into a tire barrier. Schumacher was out but Hill's suspension was damaged and he crawled round to the pits where he was forced to retire. It was deemed as a racing incident by the stewards and Schumacher was crowned world champion.
1997, Jerez de la Frontera: Down to the wire again. Michael Schumacher deposited a truckload of egg on his face on lap 48 when he tried to take Villeneuve out of the race when Jacques challenged for the lead. It was exactly the kind of move one would have expected from the man who took out Damon Hill to win the 1994 drivers title in Adelaide. It was a cynical attempt to save the World Championship but this time it was executed with an amateurism, which must have made the great Enzo Ferrari turn in his grave. Jacques was all over the Ferrari's gearbox, trying hard to get by. As to two charged for the 'Dry Sack' turn on lap 48, Jacques dived on the inside of Schumacher, executing the best overtaking maneuver of the season, but the two made contact. Schumacher had driven voluntarily into the left side of Jacques' Williams, after he was caught napping and tried to remedy by throwing off the Canadian's Williams. The German, however, was the one who paid the highest price: His Ferrari pirouetted straight into the gravel trap and was a beached whale. The desperate German tried to get back on track, but all was in vain. Thus, Schumacher retired, and all Jacques had to do to become World Champion was score just one point or more. "I knew I had to make my move then, or else my tires would go off a bit and I wouldn't be able to fight anymore," Villeneuve said. "Also, I didn't want to give him time to settle, so even though I was 10 or 15 yards behind him into the braking area, I just went for it, and just braked late. I couldn't go any more to the inside - I was already on the grass, so maybe Michael had his eyes closed, or maybe somehow his hands slipped off the steering wheel or something... "I was surprised that he (Schumacher) hadn't closed the door yet, but it was only a matter of seconds before he decided to turn in on me. But he didn't do it well enough, because he went out and I didn't! I expected he'd do that," Jacques went on, "so I knew I was taking a big risk. As for him, I knew he was out right away, because he hit me really hard and went into the gravel trap." As Schumacher's Ferrari bounced off Villeneuve's Williams and slid into the gravel, Michael had only himself to blame. There was no sympathy for him in the paddock. He had damaged his reputation considerably. If this is the best racing driver on earth, they said, why does he need to resort to such unsportsmanlike behavior? He may be a great driver but he will never be a good sportsman. The FIA - having had the glorious showdown they wanted - contrived to conclude that the crash was a "racing incident" - which was a scandalous decision and just goes to prove that the FIA stewards are either not qualified for the jobs they hold or that they were told what to do by someone higher up. Schumacher was allowed to keep the points he accumulated during the season, but he was disqualified from second place in the championship.
1998: Suzuka. Schumacher has to win this race if he has to win the World Championship. Schumacher stalls on the grid while Iceman Hakkinen goes on to win the race and the drivers title.
2003: Malaysia. Schumacher under pressure from his critics for failing to win the opener in Melbourne now crashes into the back of Jarno Trulli’s Renault in the. FIA Stewards write is off as a racing incident. He is not penalized.
2003: Monaco. Schumacher brake tests Montoya and promptly crashes into the wall. No penalty!
I do not doubt Schumacher’s driving abilities or his wet weather prowess. However, I refuse to accept that he was the best ever driver that ever was.
One thing that has driven fans away from Formula - 1 is the fact that Ferrari does not treat its drivers with equal respect while winning everything in sight. One can see this trend throughout Schumacher’s career. With Benetton, ’92 to ’95, he was favored over his teammates with more engineers to his car and better and more reliable machinery. There were strong suggestions that Benetton was using illegal electronic systems and this created enormous controversy. There was further trouble when Schumacher's teammate Jos Verstappen was involved in a refueling fire and it was found that the team had tampered with the refueling equipment. In 1995, Johnny Herbert said All the engineers work around Schumacher’s car, while I just driver the second car. Full credit to Johnny for wining twice in 1995! Ferrari also uses unfair team tactics from which Schumacher ends up winning races he should not. Eddie Irvine, Schumacher’s teammate at Ferrari (’96 - ’99), told the press that it was his ‘job’ to hold up other drivers by slowing down slightly while Schumacher increased the gap at the front. Eddie only slowed down about a second a lap. A 1-second gap is like an eternity in F-1. Rubens Barrichello had to move over for Schumacher number of times as well. It is interesting to note that Michael Schumacher has had no mechanical failures in the last 40 odd races (that is more than 2 years) while Barrichello’s Ferrari breaks down often. Maybe the components on Schumacher’s car are more reliable than those on Rubens’. There are also ways, which are indiscernible to the viewer, in which a team could favor a driver. In the pits, the crew works such that the 'other driver' could be stationery for just a bit longer to give Schumacher the edge. Blatant still, both the Ferrari’s in the pits with Rubens drawing the short straw having to wait an extra 10 seconds with the crew working on Schumacher’ car.
These days most of the F-1 races are won in the pit lane and there is hardly any overtaking on the track, a far cry from days of yore. Schumacher always seems to get help from his teammates to win quite a few races. Ferrari team tactics of favoring a single driver are contrary to all the other teams. Williams and even the McLaren dream team (Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost (’88 - ’89)) treated both drivers on par and gave identical equipment to its drivers. Williams (‘86 – ’87) allowed Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet to fight on the track to the extent that they lost the 1986 drivers championship to McLaren’s Alain Prost. Alain managed to win because of the on track rivalry between the two Williams teammates. Nevertheless, the racing was intense and it was a pleasure to watch the two gladiators wrestling their 1200 bhp beasts trying to gain a few inches on the racetrack.
I do not doubt today’s talent, but Schumacher does not have any competition. Competition implies good drivers in good cars. Williams and Mclaren both have been unable to produce world championship winning cars for the last couple of years leaving DC, Raikonnen, Montoya and Schumacher Jr. with a disadvantage. F-1 impresario Bernie Ecclestone himself remarked that Schumacher has no real competition.
After Senna’s tragic death in ’94, there wasn’t a world champion who was racing on the track at that time. Through out his career, Schumacher has hasn’t had any tough opposition. Mika Hakkinen was a threat, but he retired in 2001 to spend more time with his newborn son, Hugo. All the other F-1 greats had to fight with single, double, triple or even quadruple world champions on track in their time. The depth of competition at the top is not as strong any more.
In ‘92-‘93 Schumacher was beaten lock, stock and barrel by Senna, Mansell (retired ’93) and Prost (‘92 sabbatical). In ‘93, Benetton cut a deal with Ford to use the latest spec factory Ford engines for free. Ford thus became Benetton’s title sponsor. McLaren having lost the Honda engine deal agreed to purchase Ford engines at the last moment. These engines were of a lower spec than were supplied to Benetton. McLaren had no option than to use lower spec engines. Senna was incensed with this deal but he nonetheless humbled Schumacher with five victory compared to just the solitary win. A factory supplied engine team was beaten by customer! Such an incident has never ever been repeated and was primarily because of Senna’s concentration, determination and commitment. This is analogous to Sauber (who have Ferrari engines on their cars) beating Ferrari in the constructer’s championship.
Senna’s (the rain master) win at Donnington was impeccable. He over took Schumacher, Hill and Prost before the end of the first lap! In the treacherous conditions, Schumacher spun and crashed.
Why do most people like Michael Schumacher?
The simple answer is “Television”. Blame Bernie Ecclestone if you want to. The way the broadcasts go is the world championships get the most exposure on TV. Meaning Schumacher and Ferrari will be seen more than anyone else on the TV in a race. How many times have you seen a Minardi in a race? Some glorious overtaking moments are missed due to this. Felipe Massa is known to be a great over taker, but hey, how many times do you see him racing? The in-car footage is from Schumacher’s Ferrari. How many times have you seen Ayrton Senna race? Now ask yourself, How many times have you seen Michael Schumacher race? Did that answer the question?
The televised broadcasts for the races have started increasing in the last few years. Ask yourself. Have you ever seen Ayrton Senna giving a press interview? (I have. Thank God for that). No wonder ‘seen it all’ journalists were often spellbound by the Brazilian’s press conferences. All of this happening in what was, for him, a foreign language. Such willingness to articulate and philosophize one's profession had never been heard before or since. Whenever he spoke, he spoke in a soft voice. Immediately, all the hush used to die down and one could hear a pin drop on the carpeted floor.
After out-qualifying Prost to the tune of almost two seconds at Monaco in 1988, Senna described his succession of quick laps as an almost out-of-body experience. He felt that the circuit was a tunnel and he was looking at his car from above, previewing what would happen in each corner. Out on the track itself Senna began to feel that he was beginning to exceed his own limits so much that he scared himself and had to drive slowly back to the pits.
“Sometimes you think you have a limit. You then go for this limit and touch this limit and you think, okay, this is the limit. As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and suddenly you can go a little bit further with your mind power, your determination and the experience as well. You can fly very high,” Senna recalled after the 1988 Monaco Qualifying.
If Senna brought in a winner-takes-all attitude to Formula One he also raised the bar by several levels when it came to preparation. Like his successor Michael Schumacher, he placed great emphasis on fitness. Senna wore out several pairs of running shoes during the off-season, so intense was his training program. At the track he would often spend four or five hours in detailed debriefs with his engineers while most of his contemporaries would take 30 minutes to discuss their cars. Once in 1993, Senna told his engineers that he felt there was some kind of problem with the engine and he asked them to change it. The engine men could find nothing wrong, but team boss Ron Dennis asked them to put a new engine in anyway, just for Senna's peace of mind. When they took it apart later, they found a tiny crack in the crankshaft that had not even been picked up by computer telemetry. Had Senna used it, the engine would have failed.
His genius was never more evident than in the final car he drove, the Williams Renault FW16. Expecting the chassis to be the class of the field, Senna was surprised by the car’s poor handling and general lack of grip. Convinced that the rival Benetton team was running illegal systems, Senna still managed to put the car on pole position for his three races with the team. At the first race in Brazil he lapped his teammate Damon Hill towards the end. Another driver he lapped in the same race was Eddie Irvine, who remarked on the differences between the two leading cars. “The Benetton was glued to the road and the Williams was all over the place. How the hell Ayrton was anywhere near Schumacher, I’ll never know,” remembers the Ulsterman. David Brown, who was Senna’s race engineer that year, recalls that “Williams weren’t on pole for those three races, Ayrton was.”
I am comparing drivers from different eras. I admit that I have never seen Juan Manuel Fangio or for that matter Jim Clark race. But from the material that I have read, I know that the wins by Fangio and Clark came in most grueling of conditions and had it not been for the driver’s skill, there might not have been a win in the first place. I acknowledge and revere their driving skills.
I hold Michael Schumacher in very high esteem but I am not a fan. I just think that he is a very lucky racer. His ship sails smooth while his opponents frequently run into rough weather and end up as beached whales. His timing, right from his appearance in F-1 was impeccable. He has a strong personality and he is the rightful heir to Senna’s throne.
If anywhere in the world, if a car is overtaken, the driver quite naturally would say, “Who the hell does he think he is? Michael Schumacher?” All such people have never seen or for that matter heard of the legendary Ayrton Senna. I neither argue with them nor try to convince them otherwise. I just smile and move on.
Ever decade has a benchmark and it is impossible to compare the drivers of different eras. Fangio, Brabham, Clark, Stewart, Lauda, Prost and Senna have all set and raised the bar. Schumacher is today’s benchmark. In time, there will be another. People are already saying Alonso is the rightful heir to Schumacher’s throne. Is he really? Only time will tell. Till then, enjoy the show!
No doubt, that Schumacher is the best of today’s crop of racers. However, he is simply not the best there ever was. Personally, I think Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna were the best there ever were.
