1. Mark on June 24, 2004 01:04 PM writes...

Great piece Nick

2. Rob on June 24, 2004 02:31 PM writes...

I posted this to your previous F1 article, but it's relevant to this one:
Nick, which members of the Formula 1 community (you said "Schumacher's peers) think GF is a better driver? I've followed F1 very closely for more than 15 years, and never once seen this statement in print or on TV.

3. Nick on June 24, 2004 02:58 PM writes...

Rob, read the race programs. In the F1 Montreal program, for example, the entry for Fischella starts: "The best driver in the paddock according to his peers..."

4. Rob on June 24, 2004 03:12 PM writes...

Aha, I always wondered who bought those. I would recommend AtlasF1.com, planetf1.com, and pitpass.com as good sources of in-depth F1 coverage.
P.S. Giancarlo Fisichella has been one of my favorite drivers since he joined Minardi in 1996, but I doubt even he thinks he's as good as Schumacher.

5. GE on June 24, 2004 03:16 PM writes...

Judging by the motley collection of backmarkers and mid-packers Fisichella has driven for, the team owners do not seem to share the drivers' opinion that he is the best.
Career stats: Fisichella has 1 win and 10 podiums in 132 starts, Schumacher has 78 wins and 130 podiums in 203 starts.
Head-to-head stats: Fisichella has 1 win, Schumacher has 56.

6. Eric on June 24, 2004 05:24 PM writes...

Great piece, but how long can F1 continue to fill the seats and draw television ratings when one competitor dominates the circuit so completely?

7. Nick on June 24, 2004 07:02 PM writes...

Rob et. al.: Good posts. Look, I say at the very beginning of the piece that "Michael Schumacher is the most dominant athlete in the world." What more do you want from me? Schuey is a great driver. But he's not the most gifted pure driver, and other F1 pilots will tell you that. As for sources of good F1 info, I read pitpass and planetf1 and watch the Speed channel. I don't know why it's such a surprise that other drivers don't necessarily think MS is the best.

8. Mark on June 24, 2004 08:37 PM writes...

Schumacher's dominance is good for the sport. Of course there is animosity towards him, after all we are talking about competition. But like him or not he is putting stability at the top which the sport needs right now because of expansion and other considerations. For that he should be given credit. If you are looking for some competition just wait. When he is finally done there is going to be a real dog fight.

9. Mark on June 24, 2004 08:41 PM writes...

Oh yeah, it would be nice if Mercedes would step it up for us. Hopefully Montoya will be able to get some wins, or at least some better placing.

10. Richard Dietzel on June 25, 2004 12:30 AM writes...

Nice piece, but...

Karts are not "kiddie race cars", they are serious business and a major breeding ground for drivers. Also Michael is amazing but he didn't do the heavy lifting of design, programming, research and management of the team's turn around.
Richard

11. Rob on June 25, 2004 08:04 AM writes...

Sorry Nick, I understand the gist of your article, but it reveals your lack of familiarity with the sport. I was hoping to hear which drivers you had talked to who said GF was the best driver, since you ran into JT at the airport, but instead I got "Read the race program". So much for primary sources.

As for "If Ferrari were a football team, Schumacher would be the quarterback, the GM, and the coach", try googling "Ross Brawn".

As for "Ferrari...cars perform under the most extreme conditions of acceleration, braking, and turning" I think you're looking for "cornering."

You do a good job on TCS and seem to know about biotechnology and such, so I'll stop picking on you now. I suppose I need to remember that it was for Slate, after all. Cheers.

12. Ben on June 26, 2004 04:24 AM writes...

Here is what planetF1 had to say about the driver you claim the grid feels is the best in the business:

Giancarlo Fisichella
Class: Sauber
Best Qualifying Position: 10th; Best Result: 4th; Points: 10
After a sluggish start, in which he struggled to master the ill-handling Sauber, Fisi has responded by taking the upper hand over Felipe Massa.

As an audition for a 'top' seat - and this is what 2004 essentially is for Fisi - it hasn't been entirely convincing, however.

His points-scoring ploy has consisted of filling his Sauber with as much petrol as is technically possible and then trudging round in the hope that a significant number of other drivers will fall off the road. It may work for Sauber but it's unlikely to work Fisi in at Williams.
Grade: B

13. RG on June 30, 2004 02:55 PM writes...

Interesting about M. Schumacher being more than a drive (and 'nothing like the other motorsports legends he's now surpassed). Well, times are different and the sport is different. Jackie Stewart participated at similar levels in respect to the times. And Dale Earnhardt (Sr.) certainly was a venture capitalist in a black jumpsuit. As for fitness and expanding the driver from car to engineer, we can look to Ayrton Senna as one who sought out every advantage.
What Michael has done is: taken a great team, along with Jean Todt, and focused it with a laser intensity on total domination.

14. Roberto Roig on July 7, 2004 12:23 AM writes...

The fisichella "best driver" thing is nonsense, The only driver who can be compared with Schumacher is the late Ayrton Senna.

15. Audiophile on July 8, 2004 01:17 AM writes...

Nick, I love the topic of this blog, and your main point about technology is a good one, but I have to pile on about the Fisichella comment. You'll get some people talking about Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen, but certainly not Fisi.

One of the best litmus tests for driver ability is how well they do in comparison to their teammate, in what should be an identical car. Even if you cut some slack for team orders and whatnot, Michael usually destroys Rubens on the track.

16. Tom L on July 12, 2004 03:58 PM writes...

Enjoyed the piece. MS has now won 10 out of 11 races this year. This is turning out to be a special year guys. I’m not a Ferrari fan but I’m going to start rooting for Michael to keep this up. Even wining half of the remaining races, this will be the season we talk about for many years to come.

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