Hamilton's brilliance is sprinkled with luck

Re: Hamilton's brilliance is sprinkled with luck#46213

By 7UpJordan - 02 Jun 08, 22:23

- 02 Jun 08, 22:23#46213

What would be interesting to know would be where and when Schumacher would have made his debut in F1 if Bertrand Gachot hadn't sprayed CS gas in a London cabby's face and subsequently not gone in the nick and kept his race seat at Jordan.

In 1991 Schumacher was with Sauber's Sportscar team with Frentzen and Wendlinger, and Wendlinger made his debut that same year as a pay-driver for the Leyton House team in the final 2 races of the season. Schumacher could have done the races with Leyton House instead of Wendlinger.

But also at the same time Tom Walkinshaw - who had just taken over the Benetton team - was a great admirer of Schumacher, and he was the man who brought him straight into Benetton and paid-off and laid-off Roberto Moreno controversially. So that could possibly have happened, however Schumacher's drive in the Jordan at Spa was probably the catalyst behind that move. So more realistically Walkinshaw might have offered Schumacher a test drive in the winter break or a shoot-out against Moreno instead and given him the drive for 1992.

"And Mansell was lucky not to be taken off by that RIDICULOUS bit of driving by Alliot!!" - James Hunt
"AAAAAND into the pitlane..... OHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" - Murray Walker

Re: Hamilton's brilliance is sprinkled with luck#46218

By deMuRe - 02 Jun 08, 22:47

- 02 Jun 08, 22:47#46218

What would be interesting to know would be where and when Schumacher would have made his debut in F1 if Bertrand Gachot hadn't sprayed CS gas in a London cabby's face and subsequently not gone in the nick and kept his race seat at Jordan.

In 1991 Schumacher was with Sauber's Sportscar team with Frentzen and Wendlinger, and Wendlinger made his debut that same year as a pay-driver for the Leyton House team in the final 2 races of the season. Schumacher could have done the races with Leyton House instead of Wendlinger.

But also at the same time Tom Walkinshaw - who had just taken over the Benetton team - was a great admirer of Schumacher, and he was the man who brought him straight into Benetton and paid-off and laid-off Roberto Moreno controversially. So that could possibly have happened, however Schumacher's drive in the Jordan at Spa was probably the catalyst behind that move. So more realistically Walkinshaw might have offered Schumacher a test drive in the winter break or a shoot-out against Moreno instead and given him the drive for 1992.

Heh, I'm doing a 2nd pass on Schumacher's book and I was just reading this 20 mins ago...

I never understood why he went to Sportscars, I guess it was because at the time Frentzen was considered a better driver and got the chance to jump straight in before he did...

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Re: Hamilton's brilliance is sprinkled with luck#46219

By 7UpJordan - 02 Jun 08, 22:53

- 02 Jun 08, 22:53#46219

Heh, I'm doing a 2nd pass on Schumacher's book and I was just reading this 20 mins ago...

I never understood why he went to Sportscars, I guess it was because at the time Frentzen was considered a better driver and got the chance to jump straight in before he did...

Peter Sauber rated Frentzen a higher driver than Schumacher, and I guess it also allowed Schumacher to jump in and nick his girlfriend - now Mrs Schumacher.

I am surprised though that Schumacher didn't jump straight into an F1 seat for the start of 1991 as Hakkinen got a drive with Lotus and he and Schumacher both had their coming together in Macau the previous year. Damon Hill had also just been given the test driver role at Williams helping develop the radical FW14.

Mind you, Senna liked to play his "waiting games" when he turned down a heap of contracts from McLaren and Williams before deciding to make his F1 entrance with Toleman. So I guess Schumacher was doing just the same.

"And Mansell was lucky not to be taken off by that RIDICULOUS bit of driving by Alliot!!" - James Hunt
"AAAAAND into the pitlane..... OHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" - Murray Walker

Re: Hamilton's brilliance is sprinkled with luck#46221

By deMuRe - 02 Jun 08, 23:04

- 02 Jun 08, 23:04#46221

Heh, I'm doing a 2nd pass on Schumacher's book and I was just reading this 20 mins ago...

I never understood why he went to Sportscars, I guess it was because at the time Frentzen was considered a better driver and got the chance to jump straight in before he did...

Peter Sauber rated Frentzen a higher driver than Schumacher, and I guess it also allowed Schumacher to jump in and nick his girlfriend - now Mrs Schumacher.

I am surprised though that Schumacher didn't jump straight into an F1 seat for the start of 1991 as Hakkinen got a drive with Lotus and he and Schumacher both had their coming together in Macau the previous year. Damon Hill had also just been given the test driver role at Williams helping develop the radical FW14.

Mind you, Senna liked to play his "waiting games" when he turned down a heap of contracts from McLaren and Williams before deciding to make his F1 entrance with Toleman. So I guess Schumacher was doing just the same.

Heh, the FW14, I've been watching some races from the early 90's recently and that Williams was an engineering masterpiece. It just looked so planted. Watching the other cars trying to keep up in comparison is like watching an excited dog trying to change direction on wooden floors! You know it was rumoured the FW14 was so advanced it practically breathed, wouldn't surprise me if the team fed it live chickens when nobody was looking.

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