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As he proved ahead of his retirement in 2006, Michael Schumacher is a tough nut to second guess. But rumours that he will be retiring at season’s end after a less than stellar comeback have gathered pace since Monza. In fact, insiders at Mercedes Grand Prix suggested in Singapore the decision had already been taken, and that negotiations for the seven-time champion’s replacement were at an advanced stage.
Various drivers are said to be in the frame, including Adrian Sutil, who put in some strong performances in his Mercedes-powered Force India of late, particularly in the wet - when sensitivity is paramount – and whose manager is extremely well acquainted with Mercedes top brass.
Also believed to be under consideration is Nick Heidfeld, tester for MGP this year until he negotiated a release to develop tyres ahead of Pirelli’s return next year, then got himself a seat at Sauber as Pedro de la Rosa’s replacement at Sauber.
However, the foregoing hinges upon a decision by Schumacher, who has a three-year deal with Mercedes, but one with get-out clauses after each season. The burning question is, of course, whether he will trigger said clause come the drop of the flag in Abu Dhabi. Some suggest he will delay any decision until after tyre testing in the desert state, scheduled for the week after the finale, although being in the wars (twice) in Singapore could well hasten any decision.
“I’m not going to do this forever”
Fuelling speculation was a recent interview in which MGP team boss Ross Brawn – the man who engineered every one of Schumacher’s titles with Benetton (2) and Ferrari (5) – suggested MS was being groomed for a role in team management, possibly as his replacement.
‘One of the important areas of discussion with Michael was his future,’ said Brawn in a recent interview about the future of Mercedes Grand Prix. ‘We don’t know what it is yet, but we want him to stay involved.’ Then came the intriguing bit: ‘I’m not going to do this forever, and we have to develop a succession plan.’
Without committing to a date, Brawn thus indicated that Schumacher is in line for a management role when he hangs up that famous red helmet for a second time. It is an intriguing scenario, not least because the driver acted as consultant to Ferrari after retiring, and was on more than one occasion associated with some dubious calls made from the pit wall.
As though one former world championship parking himself on a seat in what is dubbed in F1 paddock speak as ‘prat perch’ – the team bosses enclosure on the pit wall – were not enough, 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve, the very man Schumacher unsuccessfully attempted to ram off the road during their title showdown in Jerez, is increasingly being linked to team ownership.
The French Canadian, whose father Gilles was actively assembling his own team when he was killed in action in Zolder (BE) in May 1982, was, in partnership with Italian F3000/GP2 outfit Durango, one of a trio of unsuccessful applicants pursuing the 13th F1 grid slot. As is well-known, the FIA announced last month that no additional slots would be granted until, at least, 2013.
Chances of success
Undeterred, JV is said to be talking to existing teams about a stake. With a possible four current F1 outfits for sale, he is certainly spoiled for quantity if not necessarily quality, and if he chases his dream with the same vigour as he did his racing career, he could beat Schumacher to the punch, for he could well be a team owner before the season is out if the price is right.
What, though, are their chances of success? Statistically somewhere between zero and minus one: History shows race drivers have seldom made the transition from race leader to leader of people with aplomb. In fact, seemingly the more successful the driver, the less successful that individual as team boss – and, tellingly, vice versa.
Statistically the most successful team managers in F1’s 60-year history are, in chronological order, Enzo Ferrari, Frank Williams and McLaren’s Ron Dennis and Frank Williams (16 titles each), followed by Colin Chapman (13) at Lotus.
Ferrari had a lack-lustre driving career, admitting as much when he branched into team management; Williams raced saloon cars without much success, and Dennis has no competition history to speak of save for occasional outings in social karts. True, former Ferrari boss Jean Todt (11 titles) enjoyed a long motorsport career before turning his hand to management, but he was active as rally co-driver, as was David Richards, who headed BAR and will next year lead MINI’s return to the World Rally Championship.
Jack Brabham, who won the 1966 championship in a car bearing his name, had his business partner manage the team during his success years, while the team-owning exploits of 1964 champion (and former motorcycle champion) John Surtees ended in bankruptcy and acrimony, as did those of double champion Emerson Fittipaldi and the Brazilian’s F1-driving brother Wilson.
The eponymous teams of Arturo Merzario, Chris Amon and Aguri Suzuki similarly folded, with Jackie Oliver’s Arrows outfit holding the distinction of being the most winless outfit in the 60 year history of F1 before collapsing under a mountain of debt – after former race driver Tom Walkinshaw acquired it.
Drivers - Selfish creatures?
The likes of Jackie Stewart, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda all headed teams after their active driving careers ended, with only Stewart’s enjoying a brief moment of glory in 1999 when his outfit took a fortunate win in a chaotically wet 1999 European Grand Prix. Prost Grand Prix and Jaguar under Lauda both failed spectacularly. This list is only the tip of an iceberg as perusal of F1’s rich history will prove.
So, why this massive contradiction, for champions have, after all, been there and done it all?
Apart from there being a world of difference between chasing a budget and chasing the car ahead, drivers count as amongst the most selfish creatures in sport, competing in an environment specifically created for them by their teams, while team bosses are managers of the highest order, driven by supreme selflessness to control environments they created specifically for their drivers. And, was there ever a more selfish driver than Schumacher?
As the two former champions ponder their futures they would do well to page through F1’s history books. Should they, though, ignore history at their peril and turn their hands to team management, the chances are that, for once, JV will prove the more successful (least unsuccessful).
Various drivers are said to be in the frame, including Adrian Sutil, who put in some strong performances in his Mercedes-powered Force India of late, particularly in the wet - when sensitivity is paramount – and whose manager is extremely well acquainted with Mercedes top brass.
Also believed to be under consideration is Nick Heidfeld, tester for MGP this year until he negotiated a release to develop tyres ahead of Pirelli’s return next year, then got himself a seat at Sauber as Pedro de la Rosa’s replacement at Sauber.
However, the foregoing hinges upon a decision by Schumacher, who has a three-year deal with Mercedes, but one with get-out clauses after each season. The burning question is, of course, whether he will trigger said clause come the drop of the flag in Abu Dhabi. Some suggest he will delay any decision until after tyre testing in the desert state, scheduled for the week after the finale, although being in the wars (twice) in Singapore could well hasten any decision.
“I’m not going to do this forever”
Fuelling speculation was a recent interview in which MGP team boss Ross Brawn – the man who engineered every one of Schumacher’s titles with Benetton (2) and Ferrari (5) – suggested MS was being groomed for a role in team management, possibly as his replacement.
‘One of the important areas of discussion with Michael was his future,’ said Brawn in a recent interview about the future of Mercedes Grand Prix. ‘We don’t know what it is yet, but we want him to stay involved.’ Then came the intriguing bit: ‘I’m not going to do this forever, and we have to develop a succession plan.’
Without committing to a date, Brawn thus indicated that Schumacher is in line for a management role when he hangs up that famous red helmet for a second time. It is an intriguing scenario, not least because the driver acted as consultant to Ferrari after retiring, and was on more than one occasion associated with some dubious calls made from the pit wall.
As though one former world championship parking himself on a seat in what is dubbed in F1 paddock speak as ‘prat perch’ – the team bosses enclosure on the pit wall – were not enough, 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve, the very man Schumacher unsuccessfully attempted to ram off the road during their title showdown in Jerez, is increasingly being linked to team ownership.
The French Canadian, whose father Gilles was actively assembling his own team when he was killed in action in Zolder (BE) in May 1982, was, in partnership with Italian F3000/GP2 outfit Durango, one of a trio of unsuccessful applicants pursuing the 13th F1 grid slot. As is well-known, the FIA announced last month that no additional slots would be granted until, at least, 2013.
Chances of success
Undeterred, JV is said to be talking to existing teams about a stake. With a possible four current F1 outfits for sale, he is certainly spoiled for quantity if not necessarily quality, and if he chases his dream with the same vigour as he did his racing career, he could beat Schumacher to the punch, for he could well be a team owner before the season is out if the price is right.
What, though, are their chances of success? Statistically somewhere between zero and minus one: History shows race drivers have seldom made the transition from race leader to leader of people with aplomb. In fact, seemingly the more successful the driver, the less successful that individual as team boss – and, tellingly, vice versa.
Statistically the most successful team managers in F1’s 60-year history are, in chronological order, Enzo Ferrari, Frank Williams and McLaren’s Ron Dennis and Frank Williams (16 titles each), followed by Colin Chapman (13) at Lotus.
Ferrari had a lack-lustre driving career, admitting as much when he branched into team management; Williams raced saloon cars without much success, and Dennis has no competition history to speak of save for occasional outings in social karts. True, former Ferrari boss Jean Todt (11 titles) enjoyed a long motorsport career before turning his hand to management, but he was active as rally co-driver, as was David Richards, who headed BAR and will next year lead MINI’s return to the World Rally Championship.
Jack Brabham, who won the 1966 championship in a car bearing his name, had his business partner manage the team during his success years, while the team-owning exploits of 1964 champion (and former motorcycle champion) John Surtees ended in bankruptcy and acrimony, as did those of double champion Emerson Fittipaldi and the Brazilian’s F1-driving brother Wilson.
The eponymous teams of Arturo Merzario, Chris Amon and Aguri Suzuki similarly folded, with Jackie Oliver’s Arrows outfit holding the distinction of being the most winless outfit in the 60 year history of F1 before collapsing under a mountain of debt – after former race driver Tom Walkinshaw acquired it.
Drivers - Selfish creatures?
The likes of Jackie Stewart, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda all headed teams after their active driving careers ended, with only Stewart’s enjoying a brief moment of glory in 1999 when his outfit took a fortunate win in a chaotically wet 1999 European Grand Prix. Prost Grand Prix and Jaguar under Lauda both failed spectacularly. This list is only the tip of an iceberg as perusal of F1’s rich history will prove.
So, why this massive contradiction, for champions have, after all, been there and done it all?
Apart from there being a world of difference between chasing a budget and chasing the car ahead, drivers count as amongst the most selfish creatures in sport, competing in an environment specifically created for them by their teams, while team bosses are managers of the highest order, driven by supreme selflessness to control environments they created specifically for their drivers. And, was there ever a more selfish driver than Schumacher?
As the two former champions ponder their futures they would do well to page through F1’s history books. Should they, though, ignore history at their peril and turn their hands to team management, the chances are that, for once, JV will prove the more successful (least unsuccessful).