04/24/24
June 04, 2006
Did Schuey really cheat at Monaco?: The Seven time world champion has been in a lot of controversy over his career, and the prank he pulled at Monaco qualifying was no different to his harshest critics. By Mark Gero
There has always been the controversial side of Michael Schumacher. The German, who now lives in the Lake Leman area of Switzerland with his wife Corrina, and their two children, is always known as a kind, gentile person. However, as his personal life has been untouched, the profession that this person does has been sensational. A seven time world champion, two times with the former Benetton team (now Renault) in 1994-and 95, and from 2000-04 with the Ferrari squad. But considering these great records, Schumacher also has prolonged a huge amount of controversy. In 1992, when he was just starting out, he and the late Aryton Senna got into a shouting match after the Brazilian Grand Prix, when Schumacher alleged that the McLaren driver blocked him claiming: “That world champions should not behave like that.” And many other incidents followed. But none were more obvious then the 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez, when Jacques Villeneuve Williams was nearly pushed off the track by Schumacher, only resulting in the Ferrari driver’s car spinning off instead and ending up out of the race. Schumacher was demoted out of his second place world championship. Schumacher simply kept quiet after that incident, because then he notched up a huge success by winning five consecutive world titles, but even that had controversy. Austria in 2002 came to a head. By teammate Rubens Barrichello( now with Honda) letting him pass on the final straightaway, and then having Michael return the favor months later at Indianapolis did not make it much easier. I suppose it might be different if there is no competition. At long last came one week ago at Monaco, on one of the most famous curves at Rascaase, known for its excellent restaurant, and now for Schumacher’s famous pull over and stop routine. But only the seven time world champion can truly decide what really happened. No one can say that I am a true racer and certainly can say that I will ever be as good and never as good as Schumacher, but even if after taking many racing schools, you can for some reason say that if a car comes into a corner and misjudges a racing line, it can be true that a driver will overcorrect and skid or do something that looks obvious that he made a driving error. But all the car did was going off course with no skid, no engine failure, or no sign off any trouble. Just move to the side, block everything, when especially you’re rival, in this case Fernando Alonso, was getting a good lap time to overtake you for pole position. Face it Michael, you, as the late basketball commentator Chick Hearn commented, “You got caught with your hands in the cookie jar.” Schumacher got grilled by the media after that incident and really paid for it. Now, as next week’s race at Silverstone shows that his popularity is not too good there either. Wonder why. Remember the British Grand Prix in 2000?Is this the reason, or is it something else? If as good as he is, and the records he has broken, that those should be the things that have to be remembered by, and nothing else.
posted by mgero to commentary at 12:19 PM - 0 comments