I keep hearing (on here, in the press, in F1 mags) that MS "should" retire, or that it's time to retire. I'm curious of the justification for that? I keep hearing that he has a family and should think of them, that he's earned enough, that he should go out on top, etc. Every single one of those reasons presumes that MS races for reasons other than his drive to win and his enjoyment of the sport. Let's take it as a fact that MS is ultra competitive, and furthermore that he actually ENJOYS racing and competing. Given that, why does he have any less right to be in F1 than anyone else? Why should he put that aside for altruistic reasons towards other drivers (to let them win)? Or, even worse, why should he leave because "he has won enough"? It reminds me of people who say guys like Gates or Buffet or Dell should retire because they have earned enough. It presumes those guys are partaking of the rat race and don't want to be where they are - but the truth is they enjoy their success and continue to enjoy it. Do we really want to watch mediocrity and whenever someone breaks the mold and shows us excellence again and again, ask them to please step aside and stop winning? Who ever asked or expected Larry Bird or Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzsky or Diego Maradonna to retire until they wanted to or at least until they were not competitive at their prior level? Why should it be different for MS? If one enjoys traveling, and has been to virtually every country, should one stop because one's friends say "you've been everywhere - time to give it up"??? Do we stop being intimate with our SO's because we've already had kids? Do we stop earning money as soon as we earn enough to retire at a middle class level? Why should someone be encouraged NOT to continue to excel at what they love and what they are great at? Should Aerosmith or the Stones give up because they've already put out enough great songs? Just something that bugs me... like some folks think MS really doesn't want to drive but he does it because it's his job, or that one of the most competitive personalities in F1 should 'give others a chance' when his whole adult life has been centered around doing everything possible to beat the others at all costs? I hope MS stays in F1 for exactly as long as HE wants. I fear the bleating of others may be replaying in his ears when he goes to sleep at night. The ONLY question he should ask himself is "would I ENJOY to compete in 08?" and if the answer is yes, thats all that matters.
I didn't read your post, but imo no one "should" unless they're a danger to the sport and have a high risk to causing damage (i.e. he goes blind). If he's perfectly healthy, no reason he "should" retire.
I agree. It's not like he's slow...or dangerous. Surely he should only retire when he's had enough. I think eventually people lose the will to live on that dangerous edge....but as for "us" telling him now's the time...it's ridiculous. he's only 37 ...and IF his reflexes are any slower due to that, then he'd more than make up for it with the expectation of things that only comes with experience....and no one can argue about his fitness!
I thought he should of quit in 2004. Now that he made it thru 2005 and 2006 looks a lot better. I guess he can stay.
I hope he stays as i dont see myself cheering for any other pilot. Massa still has no on track style/off track charisma.
Even though it will give another driver the opportunity to race for absolutely brilliant team, I personally think he should stay! We all know he doesn't need the money, but as long as he keeps Ferrari on top year after year and he still loves racing, he should keep racing. Mario Andretti retired at the age of 51 and he admits that he should have never done so. If MS retires, there is no doubt that down the road he will feel the same way.
I hope he stays for a while. I have been watching "old" videos on 'youtube'. And by old I mean pre-2002, when I started following the sport. He is truly an amazing driver. - Chris
There is no reason why he should retire, he seems as quick as ever with a few exceptions (rain). The only reason i could see is if he wants to spend time with his family and that's between he and them.
I don't care if he either retires or continues, BUT, If he gets killed racing, you can bet that EVERYONE will say he 'should have retired years ago, he had nothing else to prove'. By the same token, if he retires, I suppose he could get killed in a plane crash, or have an aneurism or something. It happens to the best of them.
The most difficult decision an iconic sports star has to make is when they should walk away. Much is made about when the "right time" is, and how important it is to find that time in one's career. At this point, I can't imagine Michael will ever give a damn about second-guessers saying he either quit too early or stayed too long. Personally, I would rather see a 45 year-old Michael slogging around in a Toro Rossa. The sports world is too full of self-ascribed experts who know what's best for everyone.
it's simple. just because the press and media keep saying if he gets beaten by the younger generation, he should retire straightaway. personally, how many on this board have said that he doesn;t like kimi being his teammate in '07? they say he's afraid, given the equal car and status, kimi will leave him in the dust. what a foolish statement. as far as i'm concerned, schumi should carry on racing for the sake of enjoying that feeling. risks aside, but i think it's worth it. so what if kimi, FA, and maybe even massa starts beating him in 07...not gonna prove anything , IMHO.
If he is teamed up with either Kimi or Alonso he will pressed like no other teammate he has raced with. If he is slower (and even worse, if he is dominated against) his legacy will be "tarnished".
Exactly. I can see why people and the media keep speculating about MS retirement. Most of the time, when a GP driver retires it's because he starts loosing speed, he is 'eclipsed' by his team mates, he is 'dumpted' by his team, or ends up with a constantly under-performing car in an under-financed team. That's not the case with MS by a long way, and although he is the older on the grid, he is only 38! How that can be too old to compete. He still has the motivation, which is the most important, and apart from Alonso and Raikonen, there are no driver on the grid to challenge him. As long as MS doesn't start under-performing, he should keep racing.
How about: The F1 press is bored and doesn't have ANYTHING else to discuss, now that Ide is gone, JPM is gone, and JV is gone ????????? You gotta admit, the 'story pool' has been diminished substantially.
The only real supporting argument someone raised was risk... but I dont buy that. He has been racing all his life. he participates in karting, skiing, soccer and motorcycling. Those are all risky things. When is the last time an F1 driver was killed in an F1 race? How many starts have occurred? What does that work out to as a %? F1 is very safe compared to years ago and it continues to get safer every year, so IMO the safety thing is a non-issue. It presumes the drivers are nervous about their safety but race for the money and once they accumulate enough money, they can then elect to give up the risk aspect. I dont buy that - I've done some racing and while you know you could be hurt, it doesn't really enter your mind anymore than a horrific crash does when you're driving on the highway. I'd love to hear from some of the folks who say MS should retire and hear their reasoning...
Excellent points. How old was Mansell when he won his championship anyway? The guy is competitive by a long shot, I would still love to see him race with a teammate the caliber of a KR or FA.
I could talk forever about why he shouldnt quit, but my biggest reason is this....I havnt seen him yet. Just wait until US 07, then you can retire Schumi....if you want.
I don't care if he retires or doesn't. But I wish he wouldn't jeopordize Ferrari's future by obstructing the team's desire to sign Kimi. If Schumacher were half the racer that everyone seems to think he is, he would welcome the challenge of having a real racer as a teammate instead of a sycophant like Massa. Then, should he prove slower, he could retire without any recrimination.
Nope, If that were the case there would be no #2 drivers anywhere. Each race the #2 driver would be replaced because if he didnt beat #1, obviously he's slow, get rid of him.
a) He hasn't gotten beaten by a teammate b) Its a HECK of a long shot to think he would be beaten by anyone else on the grid c) In any circumstance, it's not a good reason. If being beaten by a teammate was a reason to quit F1, there are 11 guys on the grid who are long overdue to exit right now, right?
I think you misunderstand the mentality of a racer. MS isn't there to prove to the world that he's the best - his record proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Why should MS potentially split available points with another driver? To prove to people he's best? His records dont prove that? Laughable! And the people who say it needs to be proven are not saying that because it's a legitimate gripe, it's because its one of the very few criticisms that they feel can honestly be levied against Michael. And if MS wasn't the racer everyone thinks he is, he wouldn't have 7 world championships and hold virtually every record in F1. Checkmate... try again.
