Schumacher Is Cracking...say DC

[Schume]

Latest stir of the pot taken from the ITV-F1 site.

"David Coulthard reckons Michael Schumacher is beginning to crack as the pressure grows on the German because of his ruthless tactics.

Coulthard believes the strain is beginning to tell after the championship leader crashed out of two successive races at the first corner. Schumacher has finished only one of his last five grands prix.

The Scotsman has little sympathy for Schumacher’s recent bad fortune.

He said: “He had a great run of results at the start of the season and lots of luck while we were struggling but now things have changed.

“I think all this questioning about his ethics in recent weeks has also rattled him. He doesn’t like that pressure but he brought it on with his manoeuvres at the start of races cutting across other drivers – mainly me.”

Coulthard believes the idea that Schumacher is a natural winner who is immune to pressure is a myth.

“On the track he gives the impression of being unshakeable, never wrong and always a winner. But off it he seems just like the rest of us and is subject to pressure,” said Coulthard. "

So is MS cracking???
Is this just the next round in the war of words???
Will MS make it round the first bend in the next race???
Is he his own worst enemy??

What do you think??

[KC]

Obviously he is human and subject to the same reactions to pressure we all are. He is one of the best however at using that pressure to spur himself onward. One thing certain, he will not be beaten until the last race if he is beaten at all.

[jvilleneuve2000]

Are you sure that coulthard didnt mean schumacher is a cracking driver!!!!, stranger things have happened.
No but seriously Schumacher always reacts like this after incidents. But when the next race comes he is as quick and focused as ever. I think that Coulthard is trying to play mind games with schumacher, he isnt making a good job of it.

[Regs]

I agree with DC's assessment of Schumi's situation. I think TGF is getting very frustrated. But will he start to get more rash on the track as he drives himself to win? He can't have anymore DNF's if he want's to salvage the season. Will he start to do some of the things that made him notorious in the past? It's hard to say but the pressure may be getting to him. But who knows. The next race will show how he's doing.

[Valve Bounce]

Common Guys, lets be reasonable. None of TGF's last 5 did not finishes were caused by pressure. Au contraire - his last two DNF's were caused by his arrogance and bully tactics which have finally caught up with him. Other drivers will start to see that TGF is not the GOD that they thought he was. I was amazed that, after he ran Fisi off the road, Fisi apologised to him when he clipped Fisi's front wing with his rear tyre. Many other drivers still regard TGF with such awe that if anything went wrong, they think they are to blame. This won't last.

[Liz]

I think he will get more and more desperate as the season winds down - particularly if Rubens continues to do well - and start doing more and more stupid things until he loses the championship in the last race, as usual.

The bloom is off that particular rose. After awhile people got tired of Senna, too.

[Valve Bounce]

I'm just worried that Luca might only let Rubens have three wheels during the pit stops. It worked on Eddie!!! Personally, I honestly don't want anything stupid to happen to TGF. I just want to see him beaten by the two Macs and Rubens. But th elast is not going to happen - Caesar has decreed it.

[Nuvolari]

I'd be very careful about consigning Schumie to the looney bin just yet.

DC is feeling very full of himself. Quite natural, given his run lately. But, in my view, it amounts to PsyOps, F1-style and little more.

[jvilleneuve2000]

Maybe DC should try beating hakkinen before he starts having ago at schumacher. Since Hakkinen got his 'form' back DC hasnt been able to beat him during the race. He has just sat behind him in Austria and Germany(untill the pit stop). DC's chances of the championship have been hyped up by one decent drive in France, which he only won because of schumachers brake problems.

[tkm81]

I really can't see one of the best drivers to have graced the race circuit 'cracking' under the pressure of DC. Micheal may have made a few mistakes and been guilty of some bully tactics but come on...Every form of motorsport has drivers who will do anything to win, and F1 is no exception. I really don't see anything wrong with the way Ms drives and i don't see Schuey being worried about DC. OK he may be german but i sure wouldn't want to be the one who says 'he's lost it'!!

[jarama]

Don't forget that TGF usually cracks under pressure -like we all saw at Jerez'97 and Suzuka'98-.

Maybe this year we'll see the same thing.

[tkm81]

I honestly don't see those events as 'cracking'. I agree that he does feel the pressure, but unlike DC he does not need to prove to himself that he is a worthy champion as i feel DC does. The incident with JV...well i would have done the same but made a better job of it!!

[angst]

Originally posted by tkm81
but unlike DC he does not need to prove to himself that he is a worthy champion as i feel DC does. The incident with JV...well i would have done the same but made a better job of it!!

MS may not need to prove to himself that he is a worthy champion, but he damn well won't allow a teammate to have the same equipment or rights within the team. And as for the incident with JV - it's called cheating, cheating as far as I'm concerned has no place in sport, which I still believe motor racing, and F1 to be (bloody fool that I am)

[tkm81]

I agree that cheating should not happen in any sport but the fact remains that it does and you're not going to stop it no matter what you do. It happens from Karting to F1 and thats life. Maybe Ms does have a little to much control in his team but if you want the best you have to agree more or less to the drivers terms and conditions, Senna used to do it,Prost has done it. I think rubens has got virtually the same kit he just doesn't have the same standing in the team.

[angst]

You're right, cheating does happen but I wouldn't agree that you can never stop it, unfortunately the FIA (as is their want) failed to act properly with MS after his swipe at JV. To give him suspended race bans and take away his points for 1997 was the weakest possible response to finding somebody guilty of cheating, which they plainly had. Sorry to go on, but it makes my blood boil that he gets away with it time after time after time after....and on it goes.

[Liz]

If he's the greatest pilote who ever lived (in his own opinion) why does he have a contract that says nobody is allowed to beat him on equal terms? Seems to me that is the action of a man who is afraid of competing on equal terms. Senna did it, yes, and I don't like him either.

And I absolutely boil when people say that "You can't stop it so you might just as well condone it." We can't stop murder either, so let's just fire all the police and let people have at one another!

IMO a man who has to be permitted to blatantly cheat in order to win is not a champion. He is only a tainted winner.

[Valve Bounce]

I agree with you, Liz. However, I do think that this is all going to catch up with TGF, because, if DC says he can swerve in front of TGF, then several other drivers will not be pulling their punches either. It was incredible to see that Rubens had a dream run through the field, and no one really swerved in front of him to block him. I think there are drivers who have the respect of others, then there's TGF.

[EERO]

Well put, Liz.

A point I would like to make though; with six races to go, there are FOUR drivers within ten points of one another. Fortunes change very fast in this game, a driver wins a race and is hailed as the WDC-to-be. So far this season, the only driver to string together three, let alone two wins is That German Fellow.
Bad luck, and some foolish mistakes on his own part have cost him what seemed once an insurrmountable lead. But I strongly believe that his head will be down in Hungary and he will drive like a man possessed- if only because I believe his talent is greatedr and his will to win preeminent. I haven't written him off yet and I believe that he still is the most likely Champion this season.

[Hans.ca]

Mark my word somday sombody will put his front wheel ahead of TGF rear wheel and he will get a flying lesson like few have experienced. It will work especially well at about 200 mph. Then we might have to find another driver to discuss.

[Valve Bounce]

Hans, This is exactly what TGF tried to do to Jacques at Jerez. I watched the replay, freeze frame, from the on board camera in TGF's car, and TGF definitely made two movements towards the Williams. The first was when the wheels aligned, and he quickly corrected his line, then the really hard pull on the steering wheel came when the Ferrari's front wheel was behind the Williams front wheel. The intent was to launch the Williams into the air, thus breaking the car in an accident. For those who still have this tape, you can watch the incident, frame by frame, from the on board camera to satisfy yourselves. Thumbs down for TGF.

[angst]

Exactly, and what did the FIA do? Sweet F.A. (Oh God, and that's another load of corrupt, fawning *@$***@s).And as if the cheating wasn't bad enough, and it most certainly is, the fact that the physical well-being of fellow human-beings is put at risk without any thought except his own success is what really puts MS in a class of his own.
I don't dislike him because he's German.I don't dislike him because he's succesful. I don't deny he is a talented driver. But I cannot respect a man with so little regard for the ethics of his trade and the misgivings of others. The man's an arse, and I need a little bit more than somebody being quick and succesful before I can have any respect.

[Danielsun]

Originally posted by angst
I don't dislike him because he's German.I don't dislike him because he's succesful. I don't deny he is a talented driver. But I cannot respect a man with so little regard for the ethics of his trade and the misgivings of others. The man's an arse, and I need a little bit more than somebody being quick and succesful before I can have any respect.

Exactly. You can't not like great, fast drivers. And we all love winners and champions, but it's when they have a severe attitude problem - "I'm better than anyone here and I'll drive where I want" - it's a whole lot easier to dislike them.

The fact that M. Schumacher has shown a total disregard for the safety of himself, other drivers and (in Austria) the officials, is why so many of us do not like the man. Keep him away from the track and I'm sure he's as nice as any driver, but once out there, he's a danger. Success at any cost?

[JAM]

Well, at least TGF should feel no pressure from his team mate, Rubinho. Montezemolo was very clear about how is the number 1 in Ferrari.

Great performance at the German GP Rubinho, but you better hope for more DNFs from your privilege team mate. Luca "Ferrari God" has spoken.

[Liz]

Since TGF has pi$$ed off all the other pilotes (which is what made him "back off" in his blaming of Fisi for last week's contretemps) I would look for more carnage (of cars) on the track in Hungary, as now everyone will be out to give him "a dose of his own medicine." I am not worried so much about drivers such as DC and Mika (who after all are fighting for the championship) and I really don't believe that Rubens is that kind of guy. But there is a large pack behind, starting with Jacques and working through Fisi, Eddie, Trulli, and worst of all Pedro Diniz, who wouldn't mind grinding his face into the dirt just to teach him a lesson. And when you have at least five guys gunning for you and a few who wouldn't mind awfully if their swerve in front of you sent you to the showers, sooner or later something bad is going to happen ...

Interesting scenario: TGF is DNF in the next two races, and Rubens gets podium finishes in both (especially seconds). Now the choice is between DC, Mika and Rubens - which will Ferrari choose?

[Valve Bounce]

Liz, lease do you sums again. If Rubens gets 12 points in the next two races, and TGF none, Rubens will only be 2 points ahead of TGF, and Ferrari will still choose TGF. Ferrari will only go with another driver if TGF is in a position where mathematically he has no chance of being WDC. I don't like the guy either, but if he was only two points behind Rubens, and I had the power to invoke team orders, I would stick with TGF because he would still be the better chance to win the WDC from that position for Ferrari. Ferrari has not won a WDC since year dot, and they are certainly not going to waver from TGF now. They, unlike McLaren or Williams, are really desperate to win the WDC AT ALL COSTS!!!