Schumi's Tale of Controvosy

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Just got my copy og F1 racing this month. Quite a few good articles in it this month. One of which (to no suprise) is about Schumi's Monaco Quali debatacle (it was going to happen wasnt it - like they are NOT going to write a piece on it). Anyway, its quite an insightful article, far far too long to post anything meaningful here.

What IS quite interesting to read is the series of other controversial incidents that he has been involved in.

No other driver has ever attempted to win a grand prix from the pits (silverstone 1998); AND drive his damaged car onto the racing line, switch off the engine, and remain inside it in the hope that the race would be restarted for safety reasons (A1-Ring 2000); AND require his team-mate to cede the lead of a grand prix within metres of the flag (A1-Ring 2002); AND attempt to stage a dead-heat for a laugh a few races later (indianapolis 2002); and so on; AND apart from the odd insignificant fine, get away with it all.

Quite a staggering few lines to read. There is also a sub-article recalling breifly his "Tale of Controvosy". Thes include incidents fromt eh following races,. some I agree are MS being a cheat, some I think are a little harsh against schumi:

1. Silverstone 1994 (Black flagged for failing to come in for stop-go penalty - given for overtaking Hill on warm-up lap.
2. Adeliade 1994 (we ALL know what that's about)
3. Interlagos 1995 (drivers were weighed twice a year, schumi gained weight, then slimmed down after being weighed) [personally I think thts a genius taking advantage out of a loophole and a bit unfair to declaire this as MS cheating)
4. Spa 1995 (MS on slicks takes part in dubious blocking of Hill (on wets) on a wet track, the dangerous nature of his blocking manouvoures causes such uproar the "one manouve" rule is introduced!)
5. Jerez 1997 (again we ALL know this one!)
6. Silverstone 1998 (Winning GP in pitlane after serving a 10sec stop-go penalty (gievn for overtaking under safety car) by taking penalty at end of race to aviod the "out" phase in the pit lane which would have costed him the lead (and thus win) of the GP!)
7. Montreal 1998 (Pushes Frentzen into grass as he coes out of pitlane spinning H-HF into retirement, claims he didnt see Frenzten) [a little harsh seeing as you cant prove he DID see H-HF!)
8. Spa 1998 (Collision with DC) [a little harsh I personally see this as a racing incident, DC was slow, Shud have moved over more, Schumi should have slowed more under yellow flags...neither driver really at fault.)
9. Barcelona 2000 (Banging wheels with ralf aggressively to let Rubens into 3rd place)
10. A1-Ring 2000 (See above, got damaged in 1st lap shunt, parked car on racing line via some sort of 3point turn, tries to get race restarted so he can use the spare - doesnt work)
11.Spa 2000 (Edges Mikka Hakkinen onto the grass at 200MPH) [a little harsh seeing as this IS racing, and he isnt exactly going to just let Mika through is he?!)
12. A1-Ring 2001 (Rubens lets michael thru to take 2nd on last turn of last lap)
13. Hockenhiem 2001 (after being nerfed violently by Burti's prost, MS limps his car onto the track to get the race red flagged so he can use the spare...works a treat this time!)
14. Nurburgring 2001 (more swerving infront of brother ralf) [bit harsh...oooh he blocked his bro from overtaking...big deal!!!)
15. Sepang 2002 (zig-zag blocking of Montoya at start, this is against the one manouver rule HE BROUGHT ABOUT, and amazingly JPM is penalised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
16. A1-Ring 2002 (Rubens lets MS thru yards from the finish again....this time to take the win, F1 is not amused, a ban on team orders is issued.
17. Indianapolis 2002 (a right cock-up where he tried to stage a dead heat with Rubens.)
18. Nurburgring 2003 (Such is the allure of MS - he is helped back on track by some kindly (star-struck) marshals from the gravel pit. Name somebody else that happens to. Exactly) (lol...a little harsh seeing as its allowed if its dangerous and cannot be retirved even if safety car is used....however if this incident its allowed to happen how come nobody helped JPM back on track this year in spain?! I ahve to agree with this one now)
19. Silverstone 2003 (Pushes Alonso onto the grass at 185MPH on the run to stowe, massively dangerous as he left nowhere near as much room as he did on his move on Mika at Spa 2000, and yet no penalty is issued...WHY?!)
20. Silverstone 2004 (Both Schumi and Rubens have phantom spins in 1st quali to avoid the rain in the next session. Cunning) [a little harsh seeing as it wasnt schumi...more Ferrari]
21. Melbourne 2005 (After a collison with Heidfeld, schumi is helped back on track by marshals while Nick is left to retire) (LMAO!!! Not Biased at all now are we?!)
22. Monaco 2005 (last lap he barges past rubens and nearly crashes into ralf in a lunge for the line) [personally the rubens thing isnt too bad...it was a risky yet do-able move on the last lap...this IS racing after all. But the Ralf Move....a little bit over-optimistic!)
23. Monaco 2006 (need I mention it?!)


Quite a staggering list of infringements. MOST of which are staggering he got away with. SOME of which its staggering they put Michael to blame for.

I'm not trying to start a whole "OMG what?! Michael so isn't to blame for thisone, or this one..." or a "omg, Michael is such a cheat, and its so blatent he DID to this or that".

I just wanted to share this with you guys as I'm sure you'll agree it is quite a staggering CV of controversy.

Hope you enjoy the memories!

[f1.redbaron]

I wasn't going to say anything on "the other Schumacher topic", but since a similar topic was started, I've changed my mind. Here is Michael explanation of what happened in Monaco this year:

http://www.planet-f1.com/News/Story_Pag ... 41,00.html

[Scuderia_Russ]

If you scrutinised any of the drivers on the grid I'm sure a list similar to that above could be sicked up. I'm very surprised that most of them are classed under the sub heading 'controvesy' !

[Jason]

11.Spa 2000 (Edges Mikka Hakkinen onto the grass at 200MPH)
19. Silverstone 2003 (Pushes Alonso onto the grass at 185MPH on the run to stowe

So....whats next? Crashing himself into the barriers in Montreal in Qualifying to block others cars from setting a fast time? Seriously, the accident with JPM in 2002 was his fault indeed. JPM came in, he tried the door but then smashes into his front wing. LMAO and then JPM got penalised...is the FIA backing a ***** or what?

[Scuderia_Russ]

To be honest I only bothered reading half of the list.

1)Did he really edge Mika onto the grass? No.

2)All Schumacher did on the run to Stowe was make his one move (as detailled in the rules) to defend his position. When doing this he used the full width of the track. Alonso simply keeps moving towards the right hand side of the track until eventually he drives onto the grass!! Not Schumachers fault. If Alonso had broken left he might very well have been able to overtake him if not on that corner the next.

[Lightspeed]

Spencer, here's another that you seem to have missed out :

ARGENTINE GRAND PRIX 1998 - Schumacher barged David Coulthard's McLaren out of the lead in the opening laps by forcing his own front wheel inside Coulthard's rear halfway around a hairpin and moving his rival car aside.

To Coulthard's consternation, Schumacher was not punished.

Here's a pic of the very incident wherin Schumacher barged Coulthard out of the lead. This is by far my favorite overtaking move ever.

[manchild]

Here's a pic of the very incident wherin Schumacher barged Coulthard out of the lead. This is by far my favorite overtaking move ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW3y5ApNZec

7. Montreal 1998 (Pushes Frentzen into grass as he coes out of pitlane spinning H-HF into retirement, claims he didnt see Frenzten) [a little harsh seeing as you cant prove he DID see H-HF!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pmyOlf5ff0

Now you know why he is so "popular" among other teams and drivers.

He smashed Hakinnen 1990, Senna 1992, Hill 1994, Villeneuve 1997, Frentzen 1998, Coulthard 1998, Weber 2005, Albers 2005, Heidfeld 2005.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbFhP3mKCw

[Scuderia_Russ]

Manchild, you are living in a dreamworld, and I think really you know it!

Arg '98, D.C. makes a mistake and runs wide. Schuey is on the inside as far to the right as he can go and D.C. makes a desperate move to the inside to cover the place that he has already lost.

Can '98 There is no way that ANYONE would have been able to see Frentzen in their mirrors on this occasion.

Senna '92 was simply rookie mistake. Way too optomistic. When Andrea De Chesaris did this week in week out, no one batted an eyelid!!

As for Albers '05, Jesus....... this could happen to anyone. What the hell do you expect when you have drivers driving at race speed and others touring around at 50 mph. Even Martin Brundle said he was amazed it doesn't happen more often.

So... in a word, bullshit.

[manchild]

And you aren't?

Arg 98, Coulthard was in front and Schuey tried to sneak inside. He didn't pass 1/2 of Coulthard's car before he smashed it. Or if you like it this way, Schuey did same thing you blamed Hill for doing in 1995 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-PdJfxs3L8

Can 98, Please mind were did Schuey crossed the pit exit line. Regardless on that according to regulations driver exiting the pits has no right to obstruct racing line of other drivers on track. He was blue flagged but ignored it.

Rookie mistake, I agree (unfortunately it turned into behavior pattern). Albers, yes. Could happen to anyone but didn't just like 1994, 1997 and 2006 didn't.

[[EDF]Fx]

I havent read the magazine but several of the listed offences are ridiculous! Nr 3,6,18 are nothing less than a beautiful example of how you use the rules. Also if a Marshall decides to give MS a push and not another driver then I really dont see why or how that ends up being MS fault.

/ Fx

[Tom]

Many of those incidents 6 and 1/2 a dozen but a few more dubiouse and several undoutably deliberate. The DC incident is in the middle catagory. Michael had little chance of getting past yet DC was going slow. DC was mighty pissed as he revealed in 'david's diary'

Frenzen was good because MS clearly cut the pit line (although I don't know the '08 regs regarding that) and he came into the corner too hot himself after cutting off frenzen (MS has a bit of a moment half way round the corner) and assuming that was for position adds to the accusation. Frenzen thought so too, watch his fist. Remind you of a certain Spaniard?

Good to see Head rap Todds knuckles. The Ferrari guy behind them looked worried, almost guilty, don't you think?

However no blue flag in the pits!

[manchild]

I havent read the magazine but several of the listed offences are ridiculous! Nr 3,6,18 are nothing less than a beautiful example of how you use the rules. / Fx

3. His team was measuring him and he certainly knew his weight so they've both cheated.

6. FIA found this to be bad thing and after that they've imposed that any penalty must be undertaken several laps before the last lap (3 or 5 laps I'm not sure). What is the point of stop and go penalty if you don't loose time in the pits entry, 10 sec and exit? He lost only time on pit entry and if Ferrari's pit was in front finish line he'd won without stopping at all (or was it actually like that ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WXiVVMYIWk

18. I agree, that's not his fault but only practical example of FIA's bias towards Ferrari. What he got was technical assistance outside the pits which is strictly forbidden. He had the right to drive to the pits and retire but not to continue racing after marshals helped him.

[Scuderia_Russ]

Arg 98, Coulthard was in front and Schuey tried to sneak inside. He didn't pass 1/2 of Coulthard's car before he smashed it. Or if you like it this way, Schuey did same thing you blamed Hill for doing in 1995 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-PdJfxs3L8

Except that Schuey didn't make a mistake, and didn't run wide leaving the door wide open... another misjudged move from a long line of misjudged moves by Damon Hill (or Mr. Overoptomistic as he is know round these parts). When you say "he didn't pass 1/2 of Coulthard's car before he smashed it" Do you really mean to say he hadn't passed half of Coulthard's car before Coulthard turned in on him?!

[Tom]

That Damon Hill manouver was far too optimistic and Michael can hardly be critisized for that one. Damon himself admitted it.

[Hudsonhawk.]

And you aren't?

Arg 98, Coulthard was in front and Schuey tried to sneak inside. He didn't pass 1/2 of Coulthard's car before he smashed it. Or if you like it this way, Schuey did same thing you blamed Hill for doing in 1995 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-PdJfxs3L8

Can 98, Please mind were did Schuey crossed the pit exit line. Regardless on that according to regulations driver exiting the pits has no right to obstruct racing line of other drivers on track. He was blue flagged but ignored it.

Rookie mistake, I agree (unfortunately it turned into behavior pattern). Albers, yes. Could happen to anyone but didn't just like 1994, 1997 and 2006 didn't.

Now thats called a reply !!!

He's got no comeback......