planetf1.com

Vettel's unexpected win at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix led the media to dub him the "Baby Schumi", "New Schumacher", but Vettel played down the comparison stating he wanted to be the "New Vettel". He was not just dubbed this for his nationality, but also because of his driving style, his concentration and the hands-on role he plays behind the scenes with his team of engineers. One difference is that Vettel, unlike Schumacher, names his cars: Julie (2008), Kate, Kate's Dirty Sister (2009), Luscious Liz, Randy Mandy (2010), Kinky Kylie (2011), and Abbey (2012).
Nevertheless, the similarities are marked. Like Schumacher, Vettel grew up in a small town with an everyday background—Schumacher's father a bricklayer and Vettel's a carpenter. Both had their first taste of racing at the Kerpen karting track near Cologne, not far from the Nürburgring. Vettel began driving in his garden lapping the garden many times, not even stopping to eat or shower, before he could legally take to the roads, and said his passion for cars was nurtured by watching Schumacher compete.
After winning his first championship in 2010, and being hailed as the 'Next Schumacher', Vettel has stated he did not want to aim for Schumacher's record after learning how hard it was to get one championship under his belt, though he would like to win more. It was in their next season that the two drivers began to dominate the sport, both clinching their second successive title before the season was finished (unlike the previous year) in only their fourth full season. Both drivers became the youngest ever double World Champion at the time, by doing this.
In 2011, Pirelli's Paul Hembery was impressed when Sebastian Vettel was the only driver to take the time to visit the factory and talk to the tyre manufacturer to gain a better insight and improve their racing. The "only other driver that asks us a lot of questions" is Michael Schumacher. Hemberey "found that interesting. It is like seeing the master and the protégé at work."

In 2011, Pirelli's Paul Hembery was impressed when Sebastian Vettel was the only driver to take the time to visit the factory and talk to the tyre manufacturer to gain a better insight and improve their racing. The "only other driver that asks us a lot of questions" is Michael Schumacher. Hemberey "found that interesting. It is like seeing the master and the protégé at work."

Interesting.

Who are the absolute trolls that voted that both MS and SV are overrated, lol.

People who are entitled to their own opinion.

People will think Schumacher is overrated in the same way peoplw will think Hamilton, Alonso, Button, Raikkonen, Senna, Prost, Fangio, Clark etc are all overrated. That's life and their opinion. Doesn't make it wrong though.

Doesn't mean they aren't trolls either.

Well if that is their genuine opinion. You can't call people a troll just because you disagree with them.

That is your opinion Eva just like that would be that person's. It doesn't make it right or wrong. Just different.

So what's the point in having the word "wrong" then?

And the Kerpen track was founded by the man who should have been the first German F1 WDC, Wolfgang von Trips, perhaps the real master of this story.

I think both are overrated to an extent because the stats show that they are the best ever drivers and I simply don't believe that. Don't get me wrong both are great but I wouldn't say Schumacher was any better than Raikkonen, Hakkinen or Montoya in their prime. The difference was that Schumacher had the equipment and an uncompetitive team mate. Vettel is very much in the same boat.

I think both are overrated to an extent because the stats show that they are the best ever drivers and I simply don't believe that. Don't get me wrong both are great but I wouldn't say Schumacher was any better than Raikkonen, Hakkinen or Montoya in their prime. The difference was that Schumacher had the equipment and an uncompetitive team mate. Vettel is very much in the same boat. Overall Red Bull has had the strongest car in every season since he joined the team in 2009 and Webber just hasn't been good enough to consistently challenge him.

Both are great, both are overrated.

Oh... and don't mention the war.

How did Montoya's, Kimi's and Mika's team mates hinder them in any way? In fact I remember DC moving out for Mika in a couple of races. Are you sure you are not being unfair there?

If you put this way then with what is better Alonso than Schumacher was and Vettel is?
I mean he also has no competing teamate.

People forget that Schumacher fight and worked 4 years to have the best equipment from 96' to 2000.
People forget that he won enough races with not the best equipment like Barcelona 96' and others.

They didn't help them, the point I was making is that Irvine, Verstappen, Rubens and Massa offer no resistence what-so-ever to Schumacher. Look at Austria 2002, when Rubens was Michael's closest championship rival he still moved over and let him win. Schumacher never had a battle like Hill and JV in 1996 or Senna/Prost at Mclaren.

Montoya, Kimi and Mika all had competitive team mates. They may not have been as quick but they were at least allowed to race each other. Remember DC at Spa in '99 or Ralf winning a couple of races in '03. That would never been allowed to happen at Ferrari in the Schumacher era.

The difference is Ralf and DC WERE allowed to compete and were, by definition, competitive to an extent. Schumacher's team mates were nev... ah feck it this is really old ground. I'm off for a beer.

Other days other than Senna and maybe Prost, I think he is the best driver ever. Its all opinions and it is hard to compare different eras, but Schumi for me is a bit of a mystery.

I once argued with someone over the answer to a maths equation (it was in Uni, not just general pub chat surprisingly), and they argued that our difference in answer was down to personal opinion, which made me laugh. How can you have an opinion on an answer to an equation? Its either right or friggin' wrong! Turns out we were both wrong though, oops.

But whether its someone's opinion, there's still cases where you still have to wonder how someone forms such an opinion. Statistically, both drivers are great. Reputationally, thats where opinion will come into it. By reputation, Schumacher is great in my opinion, Vettel should become a TV personality, I much prefer him out of the car.

/MATH

Actually if we are being rigorous, almost all mathematical equations are a matter of opinion.

2^chi(0) = chi(1).

That's the continuum hypothesis. It really is a matter of opinion. Some mathematicians believe it is true, more mathematicians believe it is false, and even more mathematicians don't care or have no opinion.

Of course, most of these equations are of no practical interest even to pure mathematicians (or logicians), but it cannot be denied that they exist. In fact almost all equations are that way.



\MATH

But yeah, someone who thinks Schumacher isn't great is pretty much a fuckhead.

/MATH

Actually if we are being rigorous, almost all mathematical equations are a matter of opinion.

2^chi(0) = chi(1).

That's the continuum hypothesis. It really is a matter of opinion. Some mathematicians believe it is true, more mathematicians believe it is false, and even more mathematicians don't care or have no opinion.

Of course, most of these equations are of no practical interest even to pure mathematicians (or logicians), but it cannot be denied that they exist. In fact almost all equations are that way.



\MATH

But yeah, someone who thinks Schumacher isn't great is pretty much a fuckhead.

I hated Shuey and his racing ethics but he is uncontested the greatest of them all period.

Vettel, well... he is still young he might be one of the greatest one day but not yet.

The difference is Ralf and DC WERE allowed to compete and were, by definition, competitive to an extent. Schumacher's team mates were nev... ah feck it this is really old ground. I'm off for a beer.

I get v tired of the old "Schumi's team mates were never allowed to compete" line.

Yes, I agree that he enjoyed the best strategies, but if his team mates were never allowed to compete - why does everyone always point to Austria '02? (Forgetting that Schumi gave away the next race win to Barri to compensate.)

IIRC, during the dominant Ferrari years Schumi/Barri were allowed to compete until the last stop for fuel - ONLY then were they supposed to hold position. Schumi broke this rule once (from memory - but I can't remember the race) when he overtook Barri at a chicane who, understandably, was v angry as it was against 'Ferrari rules'....

At the end of the day its hard to argue that Barri/Massa were as good as Schumi, but were only comprehensively beaten 'cos they didn't enjoy the best strategies.

There was not as good as him, But Nico Rosberg is.

Pirelli's Paul Hembery was impressed when Sebastian Vettel was the only driver to take the time to visit the factory and talk to the tyre manufacturer to gain a better insight and improve their racing. The "only other driver that asks us a lot of questions" is Michael Schumacher. Hemberey "found that interesting. It is like seeing the master and the protégé at work."

A bit off-topic, but does anyone know (or tell me where I can find) the number of wins by German F1 drivers since Michael Schumacher burst onto the scene?

Make that since Spa 1991, what % of races have been won by German drivers and how does this compare to other nationalities since?

Just curious about the impact Schumacher M and his success made on the sport and the effect it had on bringing young German drivers like Vettel into F1.

Apart from these two, I imagine guys like HH Frentzen and R Schumacher had a dozen wins between them contributing to the %.....

We have also had quite a few other German drivers....like Sutil, Hulkenberg, Rosberg, and Glock.
Any idea where German drivers rank in terms of no. of starts compared to other nationalities since Schumacher's first race????

I've always wondered how much of the "hating" is because they are German.