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Lauda wants Michael Schumacher in Massa's car; will this guy say anthing for coverage?
Topic Started: Jul 26 2009, 02:27 PM (1,195 Views)
Steelstallions
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jul/2...da-felipe-massa

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The former world champion Niki Lauda called for Michael Schumacher to make an unexpected return to Formula One racing as a replacement for the injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa.

Schumacher, the seven-times world champion, retired in 2006, but Lauda said he is the best candidate to take Massa's seat after the Brazilian suffered a freak accident in qualifying for the Hungarian grand prix.

"Who is available? There is nobody available anywhere near Michael's performance," said Lauda before today's race at the Hungaroring.

Ferrari are almost certain to need a replacement for Massa after the 28-year-old suffered a serious head injury when struck on the head by debris yesterday. Massa was in a stable condition after emergency surgery to multiple skull fractures, but will be kept under sedation for the next 48 hours.

Lauda, who in 1976 returned to racing after a near-fatal crash, believes it will be two to three months before Massa can consider racing again.

"He needs to take a decision, and for the whole business of Formula One, he [Schumacher] would improve it by 20 to 30 per cent interest," added the Austrian. "But this is a question nobody can answer because nobody knows what Schumacher is doing."

Lauda, who won two world titles with Ferrari, questioned whether the Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo had any more favourable options. "Who else is he going to ring? The test drivers are useless, and there is nobody else here if you think about it," said the 60-year-old.

"But this is a principal decision of him [Schumacher], for him to consider this. If he doesn't want to, the idea is finished in the same second."

Schumacher's manager Willi Weber told Germany's SID news agency that he doubted the champion would consider coming back. "I don't see it," he said. "Ferrari have two good test drivers who are keen to sit in the car if it is available."

The 38-year-old Italian Luca Badoer, who failed to score a point in 49 races for Scuderia Italia, Minardi and Forti between 1993 and 1999, and 35-year-old Spaniard Marc Gené are Ferrari's official reserve drivers.


Lauda must know better than any of us that after two years away from competitive F1 and with a racing reputation as big as his to keep, MS WILL NEVER RETURN to the track.
He has all to lose and nothing to gain. Its not as though the Ferrari is the dominant vehicle that will make up for his lack of practice
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Red Andy
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At the moment I'd guess Gene will take the seat to replace Massa. But Michael? Not a chance. More likely that Loudmouth himself would take Massa's place.

Isn't there a plane somewhere you should be flying, Niki?
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Pasta
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I agree that Michael will not return, but honestly he was the best, and could do well particularly next year. I don't see him coming back for the balance of this year unless he wants to come back next year as well. After all Ferrari are set to stop development of their car this year and focus on 2010.

So why would he do it?

Having said that, Boy interest in F1 would skyrocket. Lauda is right. 20% or more increase in revenues I bet.
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Red Andy
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Sure, but by next year MS will be the wrong side of 40. I doubt he's kept his fitness to the kind of levels he did during his career, and given that he was already long past his best when he retired (he would never have been beaten by a rival in an inferior car in the late '90s-early 2000s), a comeback at this stage, while commercially good for the sport, could just be downright embarrassing for Michael.

In addition, many people feel that the reason Schumacher retired was because he didn't want to drive with Kimi as a teammate. Kimi's proven in the last year and a half not to be the driver we thought he was, but it would nonetheless still be a worry for Schumi.
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Steelstallions
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Red Andy,Jul 26 2009
02:40 PM
Sure, but by next year MS will be the wrong side of 40. I doubt he's kept his fitness to the kind of levels he did during his career, and given that he was already long past his best when he retired (he would never have been beaten by a rival in an inferior car in the late '90s-early 2000s), a comeback at this stage, while commercially good for the sport, could just be downright embarrassing for Michael.

In addition, many people feel that the reason Schumacher retired was because he didn't want to drive with Kimi as a teammate. Kimi's proven in the last year and a half not to be the driver we thought he was, but it would nonetheless still be a worry for Schumi.

I think Massa proved the point that an in form MS would have wiped the floor with Kimi.

That said considering he stepped up to the mark and dumped the ice cream to earn his inflated wages today I don't want to rag on Kimi too much.

But like most people I cannot see a retired MS coming back and beating what would have been inferior drivers to him at this stage of his life. Unlike boxing I think MS knew when to retire. Good enough to make you think he had at least another two years in him.
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Pasta
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Red Andy,Jul 26 2009
02:40 PM
Sure, but by next year MS will be the wrong side of 40. I doubt he's kept his fitness to the kind of levels he did during his career, and given that he was already long past his best when he retired (he would never have been beaten by a rival in an inferior car in the late '90s-early 2000s), a comeback at this stage, while commercially good for the sport, could just be downright embarrassing for Michael.

In addition, many people feel that the reason Schumacher retired was because he didn't want to drive with Kimi as a teammate. Kimi's proven in the last year and a half not to be the driver we thought he was, but it would nonetheless still be a worry for Schumi.

I don't think that is it. Michael just lost the edge - he said that. He knew to be the best you had to be committed and he wasn't anymore. I am sure he is as fit as ever. Sure looks good. He won't come back only because he doesn't want to do it anymore. Why should he? He is incredibly wealthy and has other things he wants to do with his life including charitable work.

His last race was the best I ever saw. Murray Walker said so too. Before that he was racing for titles and points. The last race he was mathematically out. No chance. So he just drove like the Flying Dutchman. His swansong.

He can still drive as well as anyone, and I doubt his fitness is an issue. I just think he won't do it. What for?

Unless he wants to drive next season. Our only hope.
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Jack
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As Red Andy said, MS has many things to lose and nothing to win.

Perhaps good for the F1 in terms of interest, but a bad idea for Michael. If I were him I'd spend my days and my money in my honourable retirement with the satisfaction of being the best F1 driver ever.
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Pasta
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Jack,Jul 26 2009
03:37 PM
As Red Andy said, MS has many things to lose and nothing to win.

Perhaps good for the F1 in terms of interest, but a bad idea for Michael. If I were him I'd spend my days and my money in my honourable retirement with the satisfaction of being the best F1 driver ever.

Amen.
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Brave_Lee_Flea
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Pasta,Jul 26 2009
02:59 PM
I just think he won't do it. What for?

Unless he wants to drive next season. Our only hope.

Maybe he would enjoy driving without the pressure of a world championship. If he isn't as quick as he was it doesn't matter; he and everyone else would know that he'd retired, it's no-lose situation for him.

I absolutely cannot agree that his last race was his best ever. He was driving a car that was about 2 seconds a lap faster than anything else. Massa's performance that day was also awesome.

Schumacher's best races, imo, came not when he was in a dominant car but when he had to fashion a win against an opponent in a faster car.

And yes, I too think he'd have beaten Kimi in Kimi's championship season.
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Hissing Sid
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Michael Schumacher has nothing to prove to anybody .......

Why should he take as risk , he got out of F1 after 15 years unscathed & his friend Felippe lies in a coma...
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Norbert
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Last year, maybe. This year, no way. I wouldn't mind seeing it, but what would Michael prefer - finishing his career almost winning an 8th WDC, or running two seconds off of the pace filling in for Massa? Not much of a choice, is it?
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Rob
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He's been out of the car for two years, and while I have no doubt he'd do well in quali, I think the full race distance would be a bit more that his fitness level could cope with.
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PiquetFan
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I have mixed feelings on Schumi filling in for Massa. It would be interesting to see how he would fare, and I believe that he would be near the sharp end of the grid. On the other and, it would be a shame to see him struggle if his body was not up to the task.

Will he? I don't believe so. I reckon that there's more chance of Nando getting a transfer to Ferrari following the Renault ban.
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ELUSIVEJIM
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I just want Massa in Massa's car
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RJHSaints
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We all do, but it seems clear that he will be out for a good while, maybe even permanently, though obviously I and everyone else hopes fervently that will not be the case.

Speculation about who will drive the #3 Ferrari in the coming races is fair enough, I think. Certainly, no-one means any disrespect towards Massa.

I don't think Schumacher would come back at this point, and Renault wouldn't allow Alonso to race for a rival. That leaves us with Gene and Badoer, or an unattached driver. Bruno Senna, for example. He would seem to tick the correct boxes - he is talented and a potential future prospect. We know he can be competitive in an F1 car, since he was reasonably quick in the Honda in pre-season.

If Felipe isn't able to be back for the rest of the season, as seems possible, then I would like to see Badoer get at least one race. I recall a few years back during Montoya's 'tennis-related' absence, De La Rosa and Wurz each got a race. So maybe Badoer and Gene should get a race each as thanks for their loyalty, and then Ferrari could look at other drivers.
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