Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Schumacher: shoe in or cobblers
According to the press this weekend Michael will either retire, carry on with Ferrari or race with Renault. What do you think. Say what you think will happen and what you want to happen.
But first here are the arguments for each.
Retire: Several people including Bernie himself have said that Michael will retire at the end of this season. The main argument seems to be that Michael has already achieved so much that he doesn't feel the need to go on, that he's lost some of his desire to win, that he feels the baton has been passed, that the Ferrari team are moving on and that he should go out on top.
Carry on with Ferrari: Michael has built the success story that is Ferrari and while he may want to go out on top he might not feel that he isn't on top or at the very least in with a chance or being on top. And if you've got that feeling then why would you want it to stop. And if there's the challenge of beating Kimi on equal terms in the offing that might just be an offer he'll find hard to refuse.
Move to Renault: I think I might have only heard this one from Peter Winsor whose argument went something like this: why not? He also suggested that with Flav and Pat it would be like the good old days of Benneton. And he already knows it's a fast car.
So which do you think?
However, what do I think he's going to do? That's the tough one. I would have said 'stay on' (just because he refuses to lose, in any way - even by not being there) until the last few races where it seems he has been a bit nervous - suggesting the tension of wanting to win one last time before retiring.
I have a feeling he may say he'll retire then suddenly come back either at the beginning of, or midway through, next season.
This is the purest one he wants to show that he can bounce back from last years troubles and beat Alonso while the regulations have stayed the same and it really shows what the team and him have done: "they turned it around".
So what would make Michael stay? The idea that he won't beat Alonso this year. If he's not sure he won't want to risk it not when it's looking so possible next year. The single tire produces being bridgestone gives Ferrari a big advantage. That Alonso is joining a team that has been looking to be in some difficulty this year. The way that the only likely threat then becomes his team mate. And I still think Michael would fancy himself against a team mate.
In fact rather than detering Michael isn't there a chance he might want to disprove the one thing that has been constantly levelled against him: that he's had the fastest car on the years he's won the world championship and no real competition from his team mate. And that he might not have been the best driver in Formula One on some of the years he won the drivers title. With a team mate like Kimi he would be able to put that one to bed. But would it be too risky for him? I don't think so because as far as he's concerned he's still the best. He still has the fundamental belief.
Also there has been a lot of talk of contraversy driving him out of the sport. But I think if anything the opposite might be true that he wouldn't want to go out on a season where there was a chance that could be written down as the reason for him quitting.
In the end I think that either we will hear this weekend that it is definately Kimi and Michael next year they will announce three drivers for next year. Giving Michael more time. The thing is that I still think the latter is a false situation which still means Michael will be back next year. Because if he looses then the plan is for him to be back (because he thinks he can win next year) but if he wins how will he be able to, in that joy of winning moment, decide to never have it again especially if he thinks he can do it again next year.
So what I think will happen and what I want to see happen is Kimi and Michael in Ferraris next year. I really want to see that.
And I think the reason that he looks so ragged at the moment is because he really wants to beat Alonso to show himself he'll be able to win against Kimi next year.
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