Torso wrote:sorry I ment to say MSchumacher beat Senna (in what counts as his rookie season 1992)... And particularly MSchumachers drive at Spa that year was simply mind blowing!
Look, I have a simple policy: I don't bash drivers. But this time I have to say something, as politely as I can.
Could you explain what was "mind blowing" about Schumacher 1992 Spa race?
This is what I saw, when I was young and beautiful...
Mansell got the pole, Senna took the lead away from him at the start. Schumacher, on a meritorious third place on the qualy, had a big off at Stavelot in lap 30 and decided to go for wet tyres. I saw it with my own eyes and is a little disturbing to see every young man nowadays claiming that was "tactical brilliance" when, from my particular point of view, he was the least capable of the front field in rainy conditions. That was my first thought: "well, the rookie made a mistake".
He was mighty scared, if you ask for my impression, and after the race he declared, in his usual style, he had done it because when Martin Brundle (Martin Brundle, for heaven's sake!) had overtaken him, he had noticed Mr. Brundle's tyres were worn out, so he decided to change his own tyres... that was the first time I saw a driver lying unashamedly in front of a journalist: there was a huge silence when he said that.
Everybody was like: "So, he was not able to see his own tyres? WTF? Why was he in need of watching other people's tyres to realize his own were worn out?" I did not like the guy from that particular race on very much: he had not the slightest need to say such an incongrous phrase. I remember Senna was moving his head side to side in disbelief: he was not particularly fond of exaggerations, let me tell you.
Williams did not react until later to change tyres, because no one of their drivers was that unexperienced under wet conditions.
Even with that bad stroke of luck, I can assure you Mr. Mansell was closing quickly on Schumacher when his exhaust broke and started to fall in position. I don't have the numbers at hand (I tried to find lap times but I couldn't) but I have more or less good memory.
Senna had gambled before that rain will stop and remained ahead. Rain did no cease, so he had to stop for wets after a brave effort that made him lost a lot of time. His late charge was not enough, he only managed to pass Hakkinen.
Schumacher was fortunate to have his big off right when the track was starting to get wet: he changed tyres before everybody and it paid off. That was a race for Mansell, had his car not broke.
I'm not sure if everybody is repeating legends about Schumi based on comments by people that did not even see the race, BTW. He is a great driver, but he definitely was not the "mother of Superman" at that moment in time, in my humble opinion (no offense intended, pleeze
). He had better races, if you ask me.
That year, for a regular fan like me, he was an extremely good rookie that had been beaten solidly by Nick Heidfeld (whose caliber everybody is discovering now!) when karting together and that had got a wonderful car thanks to a management that, previously, only rock stars had. That management went on to squeeze every drop they could from that victory, a first for him. Good for him, but to see people claiming THAT stroke of luck was an extraordinary performance, when in my opinion have no idea what they're speaking about, makes me boil, specially when "Rain master" stories started to sprout a few years later.
Sorry, it must be the latin blood. Again, no offense intended, please ellaborate as much as you want. I'm all ears.
Oh, and do you really think David Coulthard was the driver of the race at Bahrain? Sure, he had a great race.
Did you see Lewis Hamilton or did not? He made a historical performance, becoming the first rookie ever to get three second places in a row in his three first races, something never done before: this converts him in the best rookie ever (not counting Mr. Baghetti OTHER stroke of luck). Bahrain was a special race because of that. Claiming that Mr. Coulthard, a great driver I admire, overshadowed that is a little strange. Could you ellaborate on that too, please?
