<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Mar 6 2008, 12:48 AM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I repect yamaka's opinion on most things, but I am more with you on this.
I wouldn't say Irvine wasn't championship material, he was a fast enough driver but my view at the time was that the events of that season demonstrated schumacher's car development ability, which his worst detractors would have to admit was close to unparalleled, and which ferrari are still employing. Irvine was right on the pace before schumacher's crash, gradually dropped of front-running pace, then returned to that pace when ms came back and developed the car again. I also recall ms blocking for eddie in at least one race. I do recall some sentiment that he could have come back earlier; there was a story that he returned to soccer playing before he returned to ferrari driving.
Another aspect of schumacher's career is that despite his austere reputation he was always loved by his crew, and his pit crew was always the best in F1 at both benetton and ferrari. After each win the first thing he always did was acknowledge and thank his crew. I remember an article close to the time in which it was said that despite eddie outwardly appearing to be more affable he didn't inspire the same devotion in his crew. This doesn't excuse losing a wheel of course.
1. I understand what you're saying, but being ''a fast enough driver'' isn't all you need to be champion's material. Eddie definitely did a good job at ferrari, but he never stood a chance with MS, and that wasn't because he was supposedly the 2nd driver, MS was simply better (but I guess we all know that). It's also hard to judge who's champion's material, because all drivers who are in F1 can obviously drive well and they have reason to be there..add to that that the driver in question has the best car on the grid (Eddie in 99) then its not strange to see him almost take the title. That's just how F1 works.
2. Very very true. He loved his crew, and his crew loved him even more. He was always gracious towards them and he never said negative things about them. IMO that makes him even a greater champ. He had this ability to make the crew even more motivated, and that's why he achieved so much in his career (not by cheating as some may claim).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (yamaka46 @ Mar 6 2008, 12:49 AM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>1. If the wheel debacle had not happened then Irvine would have won the 99 season by 2 pts. As far as improving season on season, that's fairly normal in F1.
Also the Ferrari wasn't the best car out there in 96, 97 or 98 and used to break down a lot - Irvine retired 10 times in 96 and whilst I'm sure a couple were crashes, I do remember the Ferrari being
very unreliable. MS just got lucky that it was more often his team mate's car that failed than his. Irvine only retired 6 times in 97, 3 times in 98 and once in 99. I think this may have affected his championship standings in those years more than a little.
2. Maybe as well as having the fact that he must be the number one driver written in his contract, it also said that he (MS) must be the one to end Ferraris WC drought.
Whatever happen, the wheel incident was very bizzarre, to say the least.
1. Yes, Ferrari wasn't the best team those years. 96 was a disaster..yet MS managed to win 3 races and end 3rd in the standings. I actually think those years showed how good MS was. Other ''average'' drivers wouldn't be able to pull it off, but a great champ like him could. In 97 they got better and better as the season progressed, but still Williams had the best car, and not by a small margin!! 98 was a McLaren year, winning both titles.
2. It WAS bizarre. No question about it..I still can't really believe it
But no matter how bizarre it was, I can't believe they'd actually jeopardized their chances of clinching the title.
All this F1 talking makes me wanna watch them race.
Only a week now!!!
