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Saturday, September 03, 2005

coulthard speaks his mind


what was once track enemy turned out to be each other's supporter. david coulthard has been consistent in his support for michael schumacher ever since he left mclaren. the two seemed to have put the historic battles behind and can now see levels.

maybe it is the age talking, or that they have put behind those stupid political talk behind. whatever it is, i think it is just great to see the two being 'friends'.

in case you're wondering what shit i'm talking about, i am referring to the comment by dc towards michael. "schu may be down but not out", was his comment amidst stupid criticism who clearly doesn't give michael any credit. you may hate schumacher, but you have to talk with maturity and facts.

here are the quotes that i have duplicated for easy reading:
"I'm not sure it's as dramatic as it being the end of an era,"

"Obviously nothing lasts forever, and Michael is still in Formula One anyway, and will be next year.

"Whether he is in decline, I don't know. I can only observe, and I would be surprised if he was in terms of his potential performance.

"All you can do is compare Michael to his team-mate [Rubens Barrichello], and he is pretty much in the same place.

"What everybody would like to see is three or four competitive teams battling for the championship, and Michael being part of that."

"Whoever wins the championship this year, Fernando or Kimi, they will not have actually beaten Michael,"

"Yes, they will have finished in front of him, and they will have won the title, but they can't say they've beaten Michael Schumacher because the Ferrari is not in the same formula.

"Right now you've the Michelin formula and the Bridgestone formula. That's the reality of the sport because tyres are so influential.

"For a more pure world championship, you need to have one manufacturer. That would take away a very big variable.

"I've raced in F1 when there's been one tyre manufacturer, and obviously now when there is competition.

"The great thing with competition is being part of it, developing something that makes the car go quicker. There's nothing better.

"But then the downside is if you end up with the wrong tyre - more so than with engine or chassis - you can't win. As simple as that.

"As best as I can tell, all indication is their problem is tyres, and that's affecting the whole package."

"What's remarkable is not that they are having a difficult year this year, but how incredible their performance was for five straight years. They redefined Formula One,"

"They had a car that went seasons without failing, whereas McLaren still have a car that fails several times a year.

"I think the hat should still be firmly off to what they did, rather than spending too much time trying to work out their problem, whether it's the car, Michael or the tyres."
here's to dc. cheers!

everyone knows what is wrong with the ferrari this year. although no one dares to confirm it, not even the ferrari bosses, the speculation (i dare not say 'fact') remains to be the tyres are at fault this year. gathering from the above comments, dc seems to think that is the case as well.

ferrari won their first constructor championship (after the long drought) when all teams were on a single tyre manufacturer. i would say ferrari and michael took over the initial crowns truly on merit. the continue to do so for a couple of years until it become apparent an era was starting.

however for the sport's popularity sake, after several years of red domination and the opposition failing to ever come close, rule changes were needed to destroy ferrari's domination. however it took six years of constant rule changings to finally get a formula for the other teams to 'win' it back. we all know what that fucked up formula is.

i wouldn't discredit renault and mclaren because they are superior this year. the raw speed from mclaren is amazing, and the fantastic reliability of renault is above par. they are the strongest teams this season, and they deserve to battle it out.

however, we will never know. quoting dc, "whoever wins the championship this year, fernando or kimi, they will not have actually beaten michael. [...] because the ferrari is not in the same formula."



previous posts:
turkey: excellent new turkey experience
mid-season: greatest f1 driver
hungaro-ring: one more pole to go
hockenheim: the rain that never came
hockenheim: pessimism says it all for germany
mid-season: 2006 qualifying hopefuls
silverstone: renault vs mclaren
magny-cours: absolute beauty
indianapolis: michelin farce
indianapolis: indianapolis motor speedway
montreal: post-montreal notes
montreal: canadian gp preview
montreal: lopsided mirrors?
nurburgring: ferrari to make or break
monaco: f1 and star wars don't mix
barcelona: the era is all over
imola: from zero to hero
imola: f1 aero upgrades
bahrain: what a joke
sepang: bring out the new car!!
sepang: toyota f1 rev party
sepang: klcc sauber f1 street demo
melbourne: the wait is over!
pre-season: the viking
pre-season: nose job
pre-season: b.a.r. unveiled a goose
pre-season: sweet sauber
pre-season: evolution not revolution
pre-season: sauber ain't coming


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