Michael Schumacher may be the most successful driver in Formula One history, but (I now I will invite a lot of hate mail for this) I certainly don't consider him the best.
He may be one of the best drivers around, but there are a lot of marks in his report card - and most of them are not so flattering.
Schumacher has made too many driving mistakes over the years to stand comparison to cleaner practitioners such as Juan Manuel Fangio or Jim Clark or my idol - Ayrton Senna.
I had the privlige of watching him in action at the Istanbul Grand Prix this year and a lot of things kept flashing my mind as the Ferrari engines roared just 20 feet ahead of me.
He certainly has a way with the wheels - but his aggression is something I haven't come across. That aggression has a positive aspect also - the way he built the Ferrari team around him and led them to one world title after another. I have always felt Senna was a very emotionally-driven guy whose energy was from the heart whereas Schumacher is more cerebrally driven.
Schumacher's misdemeanours on the race track have harmed his standing. I don't think his record is as clean as it should be. He won't leave the sport with the reputation of a Fangio or the memory of a Clark because credibility and integrity is part and parcel of both those men.
With Schumi, I can think of atleast some moments that have made me admire him with some sort of a dilemma:
1994: After hitting the Adelaide wall and terminally damaging his car, smashes into Damon Hill to secure his first world title.
1997: Cynically slams into Jacques Villeneuve in a failed bid to win the world championship. Is stripped of his second place in the championship by the FIA.
2002: Takes advantage of Ferrari team orders to pass team-mate Rubens Barrichello yards from the chequered flag in Austria for a victory greeted by boos from the crowd.
2002: Inexplicably attempted to engineer a dead heat at Indianapolis, only to lose out to Barrichello by 0.011 seconds.
2006: Parks his Ferrari across the track in Monaco in an attempt to disrupt qualifying and retain pole position. Sent to the back of the grid by stewards.
If he was a young driver struggling at the beginning of his career, maybe his aggression could be overlooked, but with his credentials....I have my doubts - and that's the thought that kept crossing my mind everytime I could hear the Ferrari biting on the heels of Alonso's blue and yellow machine at the Istanbul race track - Schumacher's aggression could be heard.
Schumacher may be the world's most complete driver - but to me, the greatest will always be Ayrton Senna - because when it came to a Sunday afternoon there was no one better than him at racing wheel-to-wheel.
About the AuthorAarti Singh author intro...Read Morefirst published:September 11, 2006, 15:01 ISTlast updated:September 11, 2006, 15:01 IST
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So it has finally happened. Michael Schumacher climbed to the top of the podium, where he has been 90 times - a record in itself. He took a long look at the sea of scarlet-clad Ferrari fans below, and told them what they didn't want to hear. He said he was retiring from Formula One after the season, ending one of the great careers in sports. Fittingly, his announcement Sunday came after he won the Italian Grand Prix. He reportedly consulted his team on radio after reaching the chequered flag before he made the decision. Schumacher, in true champion style, cut Fernando Alonso's championship lead to just two points with this victory. 37-year old Schumacher will be stepping off the gas in style - he holds seven F1 titles.
Michael Schumacher may be the most successful driver in Formula One history, but (I now I will invite a lot of hate mail for this) I certainly don't consider him the best.
He may be one of the best drivers around, but there are a lot of marks in his report card - and most of them are not so flattering.
Schumacher has made too many driving mistakes over the years to stand comparison to cleaner practitioners such as Juan Manuel Fangio or Jim Clark or my idol - Ayrton Senna.
I had the privlige of watching him in action at the Istanbul Grand Prix this year and a lot of things kept flashing my mind as the Ferrari engines roared just 20 feet ahead of me.
He certainly has a way with the wheels - but his aggression is something I haven't come across. That aggression has a positive aspect also - the way he built the Ferrari team around him and led them to one world title after another. I have always felt Senna was a very emotionally-driven guy whose energy was from the heart whereas Schumacher is more cerebrally driven.
Schumacher's misdemeanours on the race track have harmed his standing. I don't think his record is as clean as it should be. He won't leave the sport with the reputation of a Fangio or the memory of a Clark because credibility and integrity is part and parcel of both those men.
With Schumi, I can think of atleast some moments that have made me admire him with some sort of a dilemma:
1994: After hitting the Adelaide wall and terminally damaging his car, smashes into Damon Hill to secure his first world title.
1997: Cynically slams into Jacques Villeneuve in a failed bid to win the world championship. Is stripped of his second place in the championship by the FIA.
2002: Takes advantage of Ferrari team orders to pass team-mate Rubens Barrichello yards from the chequered flag in Austria for a victory greeted by boos from the crowd.
2002: Inexplicably attempted to engineer a dead heat at Indianapolis, only to lose out to Barrichello by 0.011 seconds.
2006: Parks his Ferrari across the track in Monaco in an attempt to disrupt qualifying and retain pole position. Sent to the back of the grid by stewards.
If he was a young driver struggling at the beginning of his career, maybe his aggression could be overlooked, but with his credentials....I have my doubts - and that's the thought that kept crossing my mind everytime I could hear the Ferrari biting on the heels of Alonso's blue and yellow machine at the Istanbul race track - Schumacher's aggression could be heard.
Schumacher may be the world's most complete driver - but to me, the greatest will always be Ayrton Senna - because when it came to a Sunday afternoon there was no one better than him at racing wheel-to-wheel.
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