Tuesday 19 June 2007

19 years 350 days - Sebastian Vettel youngest to score a point in F1


Its Baby Boom in the Formula One world. After the wonder boy the new young sensation is Sebastian Vettel of the BMW Sauber Team who, at 19 years and 350 days, became the youngeat ever driver in F1 to score a point.

Vettel broke the record held by Jenson Button of Honda who scored a point at the age of 20. The German has already named him 'baby Schumi.

He finished 8th at the United States Grand Prix.Mike Thackwell remains the youngest driver to compete in a championship Grand Prix race; Nico Rosberg the youngest to drive an F1 car in private testing[1]). He also became the quickest driver to get a fine in F1, being fined $1,000 nine seconds into his career, after speeding in the pitlane.[2] He also became the sixth youngest driver to start a Grand Prix.

Sunday 17 June 2007

Lewis Hamilton hits bulls eye in US Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton scores stunning victory in US GP
"What a dream !" claimed Lewis Hamilton after his stunning victory in the United States Grand Prix over McLaren team - mate Fernando Alonso and certainly what a dream it has been for the young Brit. A reminder to the classic beauty of F1, the race produced some moments of old-fashioned rivalry that makes F1 such a wonderful spectacle.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso claimed the team’s third one-two finish of the season at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the third consecutive win for the team. After 73 laps, Fernando finished second 1.5 seconds behind Lewis. Both drivers were on two-stop strategies. Lewis came in on laps 21 (8.8 seconds) and 51 (7.1 seconds) whilst Fernando made his stops on laps 22 (7.6 seconds) and 50 (6.5 seconds). In the Drivers’ Championship, Lewis extended his lead to 58 points ahead of Fernando with 48 points. After four wins in seven out of the season’s 17 races, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes heads the Constructors’ table with 106 points ahead of Ferrari on 71.

LEWIS HAMILTON

“It just keeps getting better and better - what an amazing week this has been. I can’t believe that I have won and am so incredibly grateful to the team who have worked to hard to continue the development which has seen us taking one-two here today. Everything went right; start, pitstops, strategy and I’m really happy. I was under pressure all the way from Fernando and we were both pushing as hard as possible. I made a good start to maintain the advantage but Fernando was right there. In the second stint Fernando managed to get really close when my tyres were graining, and he had a go at the end of the straight, but I was able to keep him behind. It’s been a long and hot day, but I have really enjoyed myself and the support from the fans. “

Saturday 16 June 2007

Frank Williams has never seen anyone like the 22-year-old Hamilton


Frank Williams says that Hamilton never seems like an ordinary 22-year-old man.
Lewis is clearly a very special driver. We have never seen anything like this in F1 before.The 22-year-old leads the championship by eight points over world champion Fernando Alonso much to the delight of Williams.

Williams says Hamilton is like no other driver he has ever seen
Alonso shows Hamilton how it's done

Frank Williams has hailed McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton's achievements this season as "remarkable" and says he has never seen anyone like the 22-year-old.

Hamilton was second-fastest in the second practice session for the Indianapolis grand prix behind team-mate Fernando Alonso and Williams believes Hamilton is unique.

He said: "In my opinion I've never seen anyone arrive and be so successful so quickly.

"That is to say from his first race. It is quite remarkable."

Williams, who has worked with Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna, says he cannot think of any other driver with who Hamilton can be compared.

"I am looking hard to find fault with him and he is very nice, which is quite unusual, too," said the Williams supremo.

The British rookie leads the drivers' world championship standings by eight points from Alonso and remains confident of his prospects at the US grand prix.

Although it is a new track to Hamilton he was still towards the top of the timesheets in practice on Friday.

He said: "We have a pretty good idea of where we are going, and it looks like we should be competitive, but as always Friday is only the start of the weekend - there is a long way to go."

The McLaren driver said he took his time getting to know the track and found some of the section quite tricky.

Alonso will hope to close the gap with his team-mate after this weekend's grand prix and is also hopeful of doing well at Indianapolis.

"This track has never been kind to me, but I really want to do well this weekend," said the Spaniard.

Fernando Alonso Dominates Opening Practice in Indianapolis


Fernando Alonso dominates opening practice in Indianapolis on Friday (15th June) with the fastest laps in each session ahead of Sunday's United States Grand Prix.
Alonso dominates both practice sessions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The temperatures at Indy were amongst the highest experienced so far this season but despite the tough conditions for the seventh round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Bridgestone Potenzas performed admirably. Alonso’s time on the first day of running was only 1.1 seconds off last year’s pole time. The medium and soft tyre combination has only been previously used at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.


Alonso set his times on Bridgestone’s soft compound Potenza whilst BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld and Alonso’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton were second and third fastest in the morning session. In the afternoon session, held in even hotter conditions, Hamilton and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa were the second and third fastest. Sebastien Vettel, standing in for Robert Kubica at BMW Sauber, impressed through the day with the fourth fastest time in the morning, and he completed the greatest amount of laps of any driver.

Kees van de Grint, Bridgestone Motorsport Head of Track Engineering Operations said:

“It was a very good session today with no tyre issues to report. The circuit was not at its best which is normal due to this being the first day of running, but despite this both compounds of Potenzas performed well. If we are critical we could say that more grip would be advantageous, but in terms of graining and consistency I am very satisfied. More grip should come as the circuit improves but competitive lap times were already set despite the circuit’s condition.

The soft Potenza was faster, as expected, with a minimum four tenths advantage over the medium Potenza. The temperature levels are not an issue to me as it is the high speeds and the banking here which are the crucial aspects. Although we have had a good day today, we should never be complacent at this circuit. ”

Stats of the Day

Total amount of laps completed by all drivers: 1366

Average number of laps per car: 62 laps

Most laps by a driver: 83 – Sebastian Vettel

Fastest lap: 1min 11.925secs – Fernando Alonso

Compounds: Medium and soft

Qualifying in 2006

Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa made up an all-Ferrari front row with Schumacher on pole position by over four tenths with a time of 1min 10.832secs. Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) and Rubens Barrichello (Honda) made up the second row.

Friday 15 June 2007

Massa Vows to overcome McLaren

Massa Vows to overcome McLaren
Ferrari star Felipe Massa has vowed to bridge the gap on Formula One frontrunners McLaren, starting at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis.

Ferrari won three of the first four races of the season with Kimi Raikkonen taking the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and Massa winning in Bahrain and Spain.

Then the Ferrari campaign hit the skids, with the team drubbed in Monaco as McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton secured their one-two finish.

Then Massa was disqualified in Canada last weekend as the Brazilian ran a red light exiting the pit lane and Raikkonen was outpaced by BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld, the Williams of Alexander Wurz and Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen as the Finn had to settle for fifth behind race winner Hamilton.

McLaren have a 28-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship, the sort of dominance enjoyed by the Italian team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2000, with Michael Schumacher winning six of the seven Grands Prix at the venue.

Sebastien Vettel will replace Kubica in US GP

Sebastien Vettel will replace Kubica in US GP
The doctors disagreed with Robert Kubica and disallowed him from competing in the US Grand Prix, giving newcomer Sebastien Vettel his chance for hisfirst ever Formula One race.

Formula One driver Robert Kubica came to Indianapolis Motor Speedway proclaiming he was alert, clear-minded and ready to race Sunday in the U.S. Grand Prix.

FIA, the international governing body of racing, ruled Kubica could not yet climb back into the cockpit four days after sustaining a concussion and spraining an ankle in a frightening crash at Montreal. He will be replaced by Germany's Sebastian Vettel, a test driver for BMW Sauber.

"I felt absolutely ready to race," Kubica said in a statement issued by the team after the doctors' decision. "I respect the decision. It was made because there is too much risk to let me race in this Grand Prix in case I have an impact so soon after Montreal. I will go home now."

Vettel, a 19-year-old rookie, is expected to make his first F1 start Sunday.

Thursday 14 June 2007

Bernie Ecclestone: "We could be in India soon instead of the United States"

Bernie Ecclestone with F1 drivers
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has threatened to take F1 race away from the United States if he cannot agree on a new deal with Indianapolis.

It is not vital to Formula One to be in the United States," the 76-year-old told Britain's Daily Express newspaper, three days ahead of this season's US Grand Prix.

"There are bigger markets for us to be in other parts of the world. We could be in India soon instead of the United States. We don't have a lot of sponsors from the US, no American teams and only one driver," he added.

"I get along with (Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner) Tony George and I hope we can strike a deal, but we have offers from other places in the US too."

Despite Ecclestone's comments, similar to ones he made last year before agreeing a one-year extension with Indianapolis, the US is a key market for the car manufacturers who dominate the sport and own most of the teams.

"The automobile market in the USA is the biggest one for Mercedes-Benz outside Germany," said Mercedes motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug, whose company owns 40 per cent of championship leaders McLaren.

"For the BMW Group, the USA Grand Prix is of key importance in so far as the United States is our biggest market," said BMW Sauber boss Mario Theissen in a team preview of Sunday's race.

"We sell more cars there than in Germany and also have our biggest production sites outside Germany."

Tiger Hamilton!

Tiger Woods and Lewis Hamilton
Both are the best in their sports. Both are revered by millions around the world. Both are considered saviors of their respective sports. And both are black!

Tiger Woods and Lewis Hamilton have found fame and glory.Hamilton’s amazing start to his big-time career — six podium finishes in his first six races for McLaren — is making the entire sporting world sit up and take notice.

His incredible impact, including last Sunday’s first victory in Canada, has already earned him comparisons with Woods.
The American has almost single-handedly sent golf’s popularity soaring since he turned professional a decade ago.

As golf’s first black superstar, millions of youngsters from minority groups regard Woods as an inspiration — and he feels that Hamilton will swiftly have the same appeal.

Woods told me: “I’ve been following his progress pretty closely and I think it is great he won the Canadian Grand Prix after going close in all his previous races.

Crash Nightmares haunt Nick Heidfeld

Crash Nightmares haunt Nick Heidfeld
Prior to the Indianapolis Grand Prix BMW Sauber F1 team driver Nick Heidfeld is getting ready to battle - not just his rivals - but some crash nightmares too.

Last year at the same venue Heidfeld had an accident when he ended up on the wrong side of a pile up started when Juan Pablo Montoya clipped McLaren team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and then Honda's Jenson Button, who then made contact with the BMW Sauber.

He was also faced with the horrifying crash of his friend and team mate Robret Kubica in the last race at Montreal. Kubica was lucky to escape with a mild concussion and a sprained ankle and will see an FIA doctor today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to determine whether he is fit enough to race on Sunday.

My memories of Indy are very varied," said Heidfeld. "In 2001 I managed a sixth-placed finish with Sauber, although I had lost my first, second and, most crucially, seventh gear. That was one of my best races.

"A less pleasant memory is the accident in 2006. We had done well in qualifying, but shortly after the start I was involved in a collision and turned over for the first and, hopefully, last time in my career.

"That is why I was worried when I saw Robert's car at the side and I was happy to hear that he was okay.

"It was difficult to get some information (during the race) and you just saw the car on the side with nothing left."

Indianapolis is familiar to Lewis Hamilton - through computer games!!

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is going to Indianapolis with an open mind just as he went to Canada, and hoping to repeat the good job by winning again. But a problem that he would face is that he has never raced at Indianapolis before, not even seen it. But obviously he is not worried.


Why?


The answer is that Lewis Hamilton is indeed familiar with the Indianapolis track - through computer games, it seems.


"I actually haven't been on the simulator [for Indianapolis], but I've seen it on computer games," Hamilton said. "I don't really know what to expect."


He added: "I've watched the previous races and onboard footage and looked at data.


"But I'll be going there with an open mind and having to do the same sort of job as I did here in Canada."

Formula One Race in India In 2009

After a lot of meetings and rumours the Indian Olympic Association has finally announced that it has come to an agreement with Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone for conducting an F1 race in New Delhi from 2009. Ecclestone has for quite some time been engaged trying to widen the extent of influence for F1 races. At present Malaysia and Singapore hosts F1 races in Asia. India is one of the largest consumer markets in the world with a booming economy and an F1 race will no doubt be beneficial to both India and Ecclestone.

IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said the agreement was preliminary and conditional on having a venue approved.

The city does not currently have a racing track.

"We have received a letter in this regard from Bernie Ecclestone," said Kalmadi. "The IOA will be the promoter, the first event will be held in 2009."

He added: We are looking to identify suitable land for a world-class track."

Wednesday 13 June 2007

Lewis Hamilton - Past and Present - and a Lover


Lewis Hamilton's life has changed for ever. He can now never remain in annonimity. Media, and indeed the whole world of motorsports, are going to watch his every step, bring under scrutiny his past deeds, his love life and family, and every microscopic detail.


Home


Home was a small flat in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, where he lived with Anthony, who split from Carmen, Lewis’s mother, when he was 2. Anthony once held down three jobs to keep the money coming in. When McLaren stepped in to finance the young racer’s career, Lewis, his father, Linda, his stepmother, and Nicholas, his younger brother, who suffers from cerebral palsy, moved to a house in Tewin, a village near Stevenage. Linda and Nicholas followed Sunday’s victory on television, although they sometimes go to Lewis’s races.


Lewis now lives mostly in a £1 million mansion in Woking, Surrey, to be near the McLaren factory. Will he follow the advice of accountants and move abroad to avoid the long arm of the British taxman, to a harbour-front apartment in Monaco alongside Jenson Button and David Coulthard, or to Lake Geneva, along with Fernando Alonso, his team-mate? Or will he want a vast Swiss farmhouse like Michael Schumacher’s, complete with health centre, cinema and petrol station?


The Women


The first kiss-and-tell has appeared in a British tabloid as a schoolmate from Stevenage breathlessly told of their first romantic encounter in the back of Hamilton’s Mini. But he proclaims himself in love with Jodia Ma, the teenage sweetheart he met at Cambridge Arts and Science College. The drawback is that she is from Hong Kong and he travels the world. Hamilton has ordered a £10,000 diamond bracelet for Ma, but Formula One is awash with beautiful women and he would not be the first racing driver to have his head turned.

Lewis Hamilton is next Michael Schumacher says Derek Daly


According to Derek Daly, former Formula 1 and Indy car driver, Lewis Hamilton has the potential to replace Michael Schumacher as the next greatest driver in Formula 1 racing."He can have the same effect here as he's had elsewhere, very much so," said Daly. "Without a doubt.


"He has managed that Mansell touch and become the people's favourite almost overnight. Add to that that he's the first black guy and that he appears to have the whole package and he's a potential replacement for Michael Schumacher. He's that good."


"I expect similar scenes at Indy as there were in Montreal. He drives with such flair, and confidence and the way he sits in the car is like Mansell.
"Gilles Villeneuve had a similar impact but the promise was never fulfilled. He wasn't as well prepared as Lewis is.


"(Juan Pablo) Montoya had the impact with all his flair but he was not the complete package in terms of discipline and preparation that Hamilton appears to have.
"There's still a long way to go but he's so well spoken, he's got his Dad with him all the time and he looks to have the whole thing."

Sunday 10 June 2007

Only one name In F1 world - Lewis Hamilton! Lewis Hamilton! Lewis Hamilton!

Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton creates history! An unbelievable story has come true for this wonder boy, who hails from that land of dandies - England. His Victory at the Canadian Grand Prix will ensure his immortality. Fans no more need to weep for the loss of Michael Schumacher for here has risen a star whose brightness has illuminated the whole woorld of Formula One Racing.



1st Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), 1h44m11.292s; 2nd Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber), 1h44m15.635s; 3rd Alexander Wurz (Williams), 1h44m16.617s.


Q: Lewis, what a day: four safety cars, obviously that big accident with Robert, who we hear is OK now. What a day for you!

Lewis Hamilton: It has been a fantastic day. This is history. To come here, my first time in Canada… it’s really been a fantastic season already. We’ve had six podiums and I’ve been ready for the win for quite some time. It was just a matter of when and where. The team gave me the best car. I had no problems during the race at all, a few safety cars which sort of made it a little bit boring at some point but as soon as we got going, it was exciting again. But I did hear about Robert. He’s a good friend of mine. I hope he’s OK, and so best wishes to his family and everything. I have to dedicate this win to my Dad because without him this would not have been possible.

Q: Lewis, now that first win is behind you, talk us through the closing stages; what was going through your mind, what did it feel like to take the chequered flag?

LH: As I said, we sat behind the pace car for quite some time so it sort of dulled down for a while, and then it was about building it back up. The team did a great job in getting me in before the first pace car, and so I was out in the clean air and I was very fortunate. I had a good pace. Nick wasn’t very close to me, so I was able to keep a good gap and then the last few laps, I was just counting them down. I could see my board; I’m the type of guy who usually pushes right to the end but it’s a tricky circuit and if you make one mistake you get on the marbles and you’re in the wall, so I quietened down towards the end and just enjoyed it and it really was about just enjoying the whole moment.

Q: And you made a great start too, Nick Heidfeld right behind you too going in there, and Fernando on the outside. I say a great start, you came out of the second corner in front, anyway.

LH: Yes, I made quite a poor getaway to be honest. I don’t know what exactly happened. I’m supposed to have a certain amount of revs and I went over it and then under to try and get it back so I had a pretty poor start and I saw Nick getting close, so I had to close the door, and then I saw Fernando fly past. Obviously I didn’t want him coming past but somehow he got onto marbles I think and went straight on, and I just took the corner as normal and then Fernando came flying past. It was quite exciting, but it was just great to get out in front.

Q: Nick, qualified third, finished second: a fantastic day for you also and for the team.

Nick Heidfeld: Yeah, it was great and definitely the start was a special moment, as we just spoke about. I had a fantastic start, easily overtook Fernando, I was right behind Lewis in the slipstream, tried to get to the inside but he closed the door. I saw that Alonso was probably just pushing a bit too hard and then went off, and then the safety car. Let’s put it this way, I was not unlucky but I lost a lot of time I pulled on the other guys behind me, but I have to say that the team did a great job today. I was happy to hear that Robert is OK. It was difficult to get some information at some point. You just saw the car on the side with nothing left, and I think he’s fine.

Q: Obviously very, very difficult conditions today for the drivers; talk about that and the marbles off-line.

LH: Well actually, I don’t think it’s acceptable that we have that many marbles here again. I doubt that it’s just the rubber off the tyres coming loose. We had it yesterday. Fernando probably lost pole due to that. We’ve seen in turn ten that they did something to the circuit. We had it numerous times in the last couple of years and OK, we are the best in the world and we should keep on line but we’re talking about centimetres. You just go off half a meter and you lose a lot or you can even crash, so that was a difficult thing again.

Q: And Alexander Wurz, P3 in the Canadian Grand Prix; 24 hours ago that would have seemed like a dream.

Alexander Wurz: Yes, it’s still a dream. I had a difficult weekend, never found the rhythm but hey, if you just keep pushing… I’ve showed the whole year that I’m a strong racer. Today I was a bit lucky as well as just keeping the pace all the time on the option tyres, out for very long, very difficult but the car was running fine, no problems and I made no mistakes and I’m very pleased to bring that third place home.

Q: As you say, difficult with the option tyre, the only driver, the only finisher on a one stop strategy. What was it like in that second phase of the race?

AW: To be honest it was hell, so I thank God for the safety cars, because the tyres just grained to bits. What I did, tactically, was I really scraped the tyres as much as I could, just to get rid of the graining quickly and that was very important because in the end I had Kovalainen behind me on the prime tyre. But then my tyres cleaned up and I could control the pace. I actually got close to Nick but there weren’t enough laps. But anyway, I’m super happy with third, exactly on my tenth year anniversary. It’s a bit kitsch but I’ll take it.

Q: Returning to you, Lewis, finally for your thoughts: leading the championship, going to Indianapolis next weekend, so not too much time to enjoy this win of yours, but nonetheless I guess it will be a great evening for you?

LH: It will and there is plenty of time to enjoy it. I have to say hallo to all my family back home. I know they are all sitting at home watching me, supporting me, and to all the fans, they have been great, and the team – what a job they’ve done, back in Woking, in Brixworth, in Stuttgart to prepare the car and make it quicker than everyone’s. There’s really a big thank you to them but going into Indy, obviously I go there with great confidence. We have to try and continue with the performance that we have, and I have no doubt we can do that. PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Lewis, fantastic. In many ways an incredibly complicated race for us watching, but I don’t know if it simple it was for you, you didn’t seem to have any problems for you in front?

LH: No, to be honest it was a fairly simple race apart from the restarts, making sure that I pulled a good gap from Nick here but yeah, it was great. I got a reasonably decent start, it wasn’t great to be honest, and Nick was right up the back of me going into turn one, so I covered my position and went through the first corner and saw Fernando just fly down the outside, and I thought ‘no, I’m going to lose it here.’ But he just went straight, so I was able to continue with my line. And then I got a fantastic exit and at the same time, Fernando came flying across the front me and I just had to make sure. And that was it, this is my opportunity to get away into the distance but from there it was fairly smooth.

Q: But four times the whole field was bunched up behind you again.

LH: I thought it was quite a good challenge, to be honest, because obviously I got such… I think it was an eleven second lead from the start and then we got the first pace car. Fortunately the team did a great job pulling me in a lap before, and I have to say that was just a very good call from them, because I think that was earlier than I was supposed to stop. And I think some other people got caught out with the pace car but I came out just behind Felipe and then it was again, to try and get the gap, and each time I managed to do it. I think Nick was learning and getting better and better towards the end, because I think it was a bit closer right at the end, but still I managed to hold it.

Q: You must have thought ‘somebody doesn’t want me to win this, they keep on closing it all up again.’

LH: That’s what I was thinking, I was thinking… because each time your tyres get cold, your brakes get cold and it’s so easy to go back out and just put it in the wall. That was the real challenge: warming up your tyres enough and don’t make any mistakes.

Q: And when was the big realisation that this was really coming to you?

LH: It all started coming to me on the last five laps. I could see four, three, two, one, and I was thinking, OK, and each time I was getting slower and slower and thinking ‘stay off the kerbs.’ I had some problem… I noticed towards the end, after the last pace car, that I was turning into turn five just before turn six and the car was turning really well, and I found out my steering was a little bit off to the left and I didn’t realise that for a while and I thought maybe something was wrong so I just tried to stay off the kerbs, but other than that, the car was superb.

Q: And the emotions on the last lap?

LH: I was just trying to control myself, to be honest. I wanted to stop the car and jump out and just do, I don’t know, cartwheels or something! I just had to keep it going and it was just… the fans were fantastic, to come to Canada for my first time, they really have been fantastic supporters, so thank-you to them but it was extremely emotional: to get all way into Formula One and to have my first pole, my first win and… who had fastest lap? Don’t know, I don’t know, it would be great to know if I got it or not.

Q: Nick, I guess after those fourth places this is definitely better.

NH: Yes, definitely. We hoped to get a podium but we were speculating about third, maybe, but definitely didn’t expect second. And more importantly, or even more satisfying actually, is that I think I had a very good chance to finish second, even in normal race conditions, without so many safety cars, without Fernando being penalised, because I was pulling away from him. I had a good gap and after the stop I would have left him and that was definitely unexpected, so great thanks to the team. I think they developed the car very well. Until nearly the beginning of the race we didn’t know how strong we were, just because I had so many problems over the weekend, especially on Saturday, and then seeing the pace I was doing, I was speaking to the team and asked them to confirm if it really looked as good as I thought. And they told me ‘we have a very good chance to finish second’ and I just kept the car on the road. As we said earlier, it was quite complicated. As Lewis said, my restarts were getting better following him, but also at the beginning I was a bit worried about Fernando, so I was not only looking forward but also looking backwards a bit.

Q: Yes, he did have a go at you a couple of times.

NH: Nothing serious, really, but he’s quite hard on the tyres, he’s aggressive with the tyres, and on the restart, on hard tyres, I did expect him to be strong, so I knew what to expect.

Q: And you got news of your team-mate during the race?

NH: Yes, I asked the team when the accident happened, because I saw the car upside down. I saw on the big screen that my team was putting their hands above their heads so I knew there was something serious, but they told me they didn’t see anything on the screen, and they didn’t speak to Robert, so there was no information for quite a long time. And then later, in one of the later safety car phases they told me that he seems fine.

Q: Alex closed on you right at the end there; were you in control?

NH: Yes and no. I think if it would have been a lot longer it could have been difficult, fully depending on how the tyres would have worked. Alex was on the soft tyres for a while so he already got rid of the graining, and I was right in the middle of it. Actually I had already backed off, reduced the rpm but then I just decided to raise my rpm because it was just so difficult to drive and yes, there was a problem at the end but it worked out.

Q: Alex, I got reprimanded for reminding you it was ten years since your debut; now you’re telling everybody!

AW: Well, it’s nothing to be ashamed of but it’s a bit kitsch, after ten years’ celebration, finishing third here. Of course, I will take that because I might have been a bit unlucky sometimes at the beginning of the season, but if you can’t live with bad luck, you will never get luck, so I’m very happy now.

Q: The tyre strategy was an interesting one but a tough one.

AW: Yeah, very tough. We said let’s go for this one. The first stint was interrupted with all the safety cars. At one point I was already sixth to fifth and then I was back in 18th but the one stop was quite critical when we put the option tyre on because with the heavy fuel, the car was just sliding all over the place, especially here with off-line, the tyre-graining stuff, whatever it’s called. It is so difficult not to make a mistake. I had to draw on all my experience not to crash it or make a mistake. And in the end it worked out fine. And right at the end, after I got rid of my graining, I actually closed up to Nick. I wasn’t looking at how many laps to go, I was just looking at his rear wing just to get it and eat it up, but there weren’t enough laps left.

Q: Talking of rear wings, I think you had a chunk out of yours.

AW: I had a collision with one of the Toro Rossos, I don’t know (which). He tried a manoeuvre, touched my rear wing and I saw that part of the endplate was broken. It cost me a lot of top speed, so I was a bit like fish food out there when Kovalainen passed me on the straight just like nothing. I think I lost about six or seven km/h top speed. But the wing structure was intact. They checked it at my one stop so I could just push right to the end. QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Jeremy Filosa – Broadcast News Radio) Nick you mentioned earlier the safety issues on this track, a lot of cars not finishing, the safety car coming out, a spectacular accident… Does something need to be done in order to ensure the safety of the pilots on this track?

NH: Well obviously we are always looking to improve the circuit and this definitely is not the best one but for me the bigger problems are the marbles off line. I don’t know 100% but I doubt that it was just rubber coming off the tyres. I think the circuit was breaking loose especially in turn ten and if that could be rectified for next year that would already be a big step. It doesn’t sound difficult to do that, at least in theory for next year.

Q: (Rob Martier – CJAD Radio) Lewis two quick questions for you. Fernando didn’t have the best of days. At this point do you even care?

LH: Of course. That’s a bit of a silly question to be honest. He’s my teammate, I’ve got a lot of respect for him and we’re quite good friends. At the end of the day we are a team, we both want to finish at the front. I don’t know what happened in his race but we need to have a look and it’s not good for him obviously.

Q: (Rob Martier – CJAD Radio) You say that you are team-mates and you care about each other, that doesn’t always seem to be the case. What might this do to the relationship from here on?
LH: When does is not appear to be the case?

Q: (Rob Martier – CJAD Radio) It’s just my perspective.

LH: Ok, me and Fernando… He’s extremely professional and for me, coming into the team, I’ve got a huge amount of respect for him and I think he’s grown to get on really well with me. At the end of the day he’s the two-time world champion he’ll bounce back without a doubt and I’m sure he’ll be extremely quick in the next race.

Q: (Niki Takeda – Formula PA) You said you were over the moon yesterday. How exactly are you feeling now? Are you on a different planet?

LH: I am definitely on a different planet. It’s just really hard to grasp everything, it just keeps getting better and better. Firstly getting to Formula One, my first tests, becoming the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes race driver, having six podiums, already having a pole. You know I got that pole position and going into this weekend I really didn’t think it would be my time. I thought Fernando was extremely quick here, perhaps he’ll be quick this weekend and he’ll get the job done. But that wasn’t the case and I think I was fairly consistent, I drove quite well to keep it out of the wall and going into the race today I just had to knuckle down, keep focused and keep my mind clear and that’s what I did. I think with the pace cars it made it even easier to do that. I’m looking forward to the next race that’s for sure.

Q: (Frédéric Ferret – L’Equipe) You dreamt of being an F1 driver, you are. You dreamt of getting pole, you got it. You dreamt of winning a race, you did. What are you dreaming of now?

LH: The next dream is obviously to win a Formula One world championship but at the moment we have to be realistic again. It’s always good to bear in mind that I’m still a rookie and this is my first season. There are going to be some hard times. I hope that there aren’t but it’s just bound to happen, it’s just the way it goes in this business and there’ll be good days and bad days. But at the moment it’s been consistent and that’s down to the team and all the people around me. I’ve got a very well-grounded family and I think it works perfect.

Q: (Randy Phillips – The Gazette) I read this week that you said pole position was better than sex, where do you rank this? (laughter)

NH: He’s too young still.
LH: Yesterday it was a joke, it’s a completely different feeling but… (more laughter)AW: Did something change since yesterday?(more laughter)
LH: It’s definitely another level of feeling from yesterday, that’s for sure.

Q: (Randy Phillips - The Gazette) And also, what did your father say to you immediately after the race?

LH: I haven’t seen him but obviously I could see him in the crowd while I was on the podium and it looked like he had a tear in his eye. So it’s obvious that he was extremely proud and you wouldn’t believe the amount of work he’s put into my career. He had nothing when he was younger. He lost his mum at a young age and just to see his family be successful is a real pleasure to him and I dedicate this race to him.

Q: (Bill Beacon – The Canadian Press) Nick I just wonder with Robert… If he has to miss some time will that affect you in any way when you are doing so well?

NH: No, I don’t think it should have a big effect. First of all I hope he will be fine and returning to the cockpit soon. If not, we have some test drivers but you would have to ask somebody else what would happen.

Q: (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) The set-up here is quite similar to that of next weekend. How competitive do you think your car will be? Lewis I know you haven’t been there but you’ve obviously been in the simulator and talked about the track with your engineers.

LH: I actually haven’t been on the simulator but I’ve seen it on computer games. I don’t really know what to expect. I mean I’ve watched the previous races and onboard footage and looked at data. But I’ll be going there with an open mind and having to do the same sort of job as I did here.NH: First of all I’m stunned about how quick we were here in race conditions. As I said earlier I think I could have finished second anyway, beaten probably one of the McLaren’s and both of the Ferrari’s. It is true that the downforce level in Indy is similar to here, probably a bit more, obviously then there are a lot more corners but this is one of the circuits where I’ve always done well. Apart from last year when I was flying a bit but I hope I will have better luck this year.AW: You have to know that next week we have different tyre choices, Bridgestone brings the super-soft and soft, it will be soft-medium and obviously that has an influence on the set-up. Temperature, grip level, friction level of the track is higher than here. So I think the stiffness of the car can be different depending on what we did here. The kerbing is more aggressive so you have different set-ups and traction control and differential in the end. I don’t want to show off here but the details count and even if it is a similar set-up, it’s a completely different story.

Q: (Tony Marinaro – The Team 990 Radio) Lewis when you take a look at the qualifying times and you take a look at the podium today you must really be excited at the progress the McLaren is making compared to the Ferrari?

LH: Absolutely. Without a doubt the team has worked extremely hard as they do every year I think. Also Mercedes-Benz have done a great job too to develop the engine this year and that’s a big step forward. But we’ve been very fortunate, the car has been very reliable and I go to the workshop as much as possible speak to as many of the people as I can and they probably get a much better feel of the car and where they want to improve things. They want to win as much as me and Fernando and that’s the thing we share in common. We were surprised to see that Ferrari weren’t as quick again this weekend but I’m sure they’ll be back. So we need to make sure we keep on stepping forward and I’m sure we’ll do that.

Q: (Dave Stubbs – The Gazette) As you were going past the remains of Robert’s car did you have a look at it and can you talk a little bit about the safety and integrity of these cars. We saw this accident happen. It was with absolutely tremendous force and the fact that he is apparently ok speaks volumes about the safety of the cars. Can you talk a little bit about the safety and how comfortable you feel knowing that something like this can happen at high speed and that you will do ok.

LH: I feel great in the car, not worried at all. I know that they’ve done a fantastic job to make the safety the number one priority. I’ve not seen the crash but there was a lot of debris and obviously as I came past I wasn’t focusing on the car I was focusing on trying not to run anything over. It is good to hear that he’s well. I know Robert quite well from karting days and I really wish him all the best and his family. I think it’s safe enough as you can see. I think we need to always improve.NH: It can never be safe enough. I think we have been extremely lucky that we haven’t seen a very bad accident over the last couple of years but you have to remember that if we do more than 300kph wheel to wheel, open wheels, anything could happen. It’s fantastic how much the cars have improved over the last couple of years. Usually each year the regulations make it harder for impact for the whole group and I hope it continues like that. I’m not worried but I hope we keep on the same direction in the circuits. In the last couple of years the circuits have also improved massively. Over the next few years we will go to more street circuits and hopefully it will stay that way. I think there are some exceptional street circuits that are definitely a bit dangerous but I think there is a possibility to make even a street circuit meet the normal FIA standards. I hope that will happenAW: We all shouldn’t be too comfortable to be honest. It is motor racing. Formula One, with the speed is still extremely dangerous. You have to always be careful. If you are unlucky tragic accidents can still happen. I have to say thanks to so many people for pushing the safety. The FIA, the FIA Foundation and the FIA Institute, the teams, the manufacturers, really a lot of people put a lot of effort in to the safety. It’s stunning that you know that many people care. The only thing I want to say is that, ok we are all pleased that Robert is fine. But at the same time I hope what Formula One achieves in terms of safety standards will be one day translated to the street because we have 1049 people dying in traffic accidents every day around the world and that is too many. So I think an accident like Robert’s today shows how much safer cars can be and what you can get away with. I wish that would be the case for everybody in the world.

This is the official interview conducted by formula1.com

Formula1 Timings of race

Formula1 Timings of race:


Friday 08 Jun 2007

10:00 - 11:30
Practice 1

14:00 - 15:30
Practice 2

Saturday 09 Jun 2007

10:00 - 11:00
Practice

13:00
Qualifying

Sunday 10 Jun 2007

13:00
Race

Canadian Grand Prix

Results of
2007 Canadian Grand Prix


Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 70 1:44:11.292 1 10 2
9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 70 +4.3 secs 3 8 3
17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 70 +5.3 secs 19 6 4
4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 70 +6.7 secs 22 5 5
6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 70 +13.0 secs 4 4 6
22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 70 +16.6 secs 11 3 7
1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 70 +21.9 secs 2 2 8
11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 70 +22.8 secs 18 1 9
15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 70 +22.9 secs 6 10
16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 70 +23.9 secs 7 11
23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 70 +24.3 secs 17 12
8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 70 +30.4 secs 13 Ret
12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 58 Accident 10 Ret
18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 54 Accident 12 Ret
21 Christijan Albers Spyker-Ferrari 47 Accident 21 Ret
14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 36 Gearbox 14 Ret
10 Robert Kubica BMW 26 Accident 8 Ret
20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 21 Accident 20 Ret
19 Scott Speed STR-Ferrari 8 Accident 16 Ret
7 Jenson Button Honda 0 Gearbox 15 DSQ
5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 51 Black flagged 5 DSQ
3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 51 Black flagged 9 Official Result

Saturday 9 June 2007

Biography of Fastest racer " Michael Schumacher"



Schumacher " Fastest wind"


Michael schumacher "His life and his sucess"
Biography of Michael Schumacher.

This Article is dedicated to the greatest Formula 1 race car driver in the world, Michel Schumacher. He has won the F1 championship 5 times, and he is the backbone of team Ferrari.



Summary

Michael Schumacher made his Formula One debut with the Jordan-Ford team at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix as a replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot. After his debut he signed and raced for Benetton and won two championships with them, then moved to the Ferrari in 1996 and won five consecutive drivers' titles with them from 2000 - 2004. He announced his retirement in 2006.
First of all,he raced for Jordan back in 1993.But he only raced one race for them!He got called by Benetton and he signed on for them.He raced for them untill1998.Then he raced for Ferrari from then on.(These are the name for the cars he raced in for Ferrari.F-1998,F-1999,F-2000,F... and for 2006 he raced in the 248-F1.Strangely enough). He is the first German to win the Formula One World championship[3] and is credited with popularising Formula One in Germany In a 2006 FIA survey, Michael Schumacher was voted the most popular driver among Formula One fansAfter winning two championships with Benetton, Schumacher moved to the Ferrari in 1996 and won five consecutive drivers' titles with them. Schumacher holds nearly every record in Formula One, including most drivers' championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions, points scored and most races won in a single season. His driving sometimes created controversy: he was twice involved in collisions that determined the outcome of the world championship, most notably his disqualification from the 1997 championship for causing a collision with Jacques Villeneuve.On September 10, 2006, Schumacher announced his retirement as a driver.Schumacher is currently assisting Scuderia Ferrari CEO Jean Todt for the 2007 Formula One Season.
Off the track, Schumacher is an ambassador for UNESCO and a spokesman for driver safety. He has been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts throughout his life.[8] He is the older brother of current Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher.

Life:-  Michael Schumacher
Schumacher was born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, to Rolf, a bricklayer, and Elisabeth. When Schumacher was four, his father modified the young boy's pedal kart by adding a small motorcycle engine. After the young Schumacher crashed it into a lamp post in Kerpen, his parents took him to the local karting track at Kerpen-Horrem where he became the youngest member of the karting club. His father soon built him a proper kart from discarded parts and at the age of six Schumacher won his first club championship. To support his son's racing, Rolf Schumacher took on a second job renting and repairing karts at the circuit, while his wife worked at the track's cafeteria. Despite the extra income, when Schumacher needed a new engine costing DM800 (400 €) his parents were unable to afford it, but their son was able to continue racing through support offered by several local businessmen.
In order to obtain a kart license in Germany the regulations required the driver to be at least 14 years old. Therefore in 1981, to get around this, Schumacher obtained a license in Luxembourg insteadIn 1983 he obtained his German license and the year after he won the German Junior Kart Championship. From 1984, Schumacher won numerous German and European kart championships. He joined Eurokart dealer Adolf Neubert in 1985. By 1987 he was the German and European kart champion, at which point he withdrew from school and began working as a mechanic. In 1988 Schumacher made his first step into single-seat car racing by racing in the German Formula Ford and Formula König series, the second of which he wonIn 1989 Michael signed with Willi Weber's WTS Formula 3 team. For the next two years, funded by Weber, he competed in the German Formula 3 series, winning the title in 1990. Towards the end of 1990, along with his Formula 3 rivals Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger, he joined the Mercedes junior racing programme in the World Sports-Prototype Championship. This was an unusual move for a young driver: most of Schumacher's contemporaries would instead compete in Formula 3000 on their way to Formula One. However, Weber advised Schumacher that exposure to professional press conferences and driving powerful cars in long distance races would help his career. He gained victory at the season finale at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in a Sauber-Mercedes C11 and finishing fifth in the drivers' championship. He continued with the team in the 1991 season, winning again at the final race of the season at Autopolis in Japan with a Sauber-Mercedes-Benz C291, leading to a ninth place finish in the drivers championship. In 1991 he competed in one race in the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship, finishing second.

Overview
Schumacher was noted throughout his career for his ability to produce fast laps at crucial moments in a race, to push his car to the very limit for sustained periods. Motor sport author Christopher Hilton observed in 2003 that "A measure of a driver's capabilities is his performance in wet races, because the most delicate car control and sensitivity are needed," and noted that like other great drivers, Schumacher's record in wet conditions shows very few mistakes: up to the end of the 2003 season, Schumacher won 17 of the 30 races in wet conditions he contested. Some of Schumacher's best performances occurred in such conditions, earning him the title "Regenkönig" (rain king) or "Regenmeister" (rain master). He is known as "the Red Baron", due to his red Ferrari and in reference to the German Manfred von Richthofen, the famous flying ace of World War I. Schumacher's nicknames include "Schumi", "Schuey" and "Schu".
Schumacher is often credited with popularising Formula One in Germany, where it was formerly considered a fringe sport. In 2006, three of the top ten drivers were German, more than any other nationality and more than have ever been present in Formula One history. Younger German drivers, such as Sebastian Vettel, feel Schumacher was key in their becoming Formula One drivers.
In the latter part of his Formula One career, and as one of the senior drivers, Schumacher was the president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

Debut
Schumacher testing the Jordan 191.Schumacher made his Formula One debut with the Jordan-Ford team at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix as a replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot. Schumacher, still a contracted Mercedes driver, was signed by Eddie Jordan after Mercedes paid Jordan $150,000 for his debut. The week before the race, Schumacher impressed Jordan designer Gary Anderson and team manager Trevor Foster during a test drive at Silverstone. His manager Willi Weber assured Jordan that though Schumacher had only seen the challenging Spa track as a spectator, he knew it well. During the race weekend, teammate Andrea de Cesaris was meant to show Schumacher the circuit but was held up with contracnegotiations. Schumacher then learned the track on his own, by cycling around the track on a fold-up bike he had brought with him. He impressed the paddock by qualifying seventh in this race, his first competition in a Formula One car. This matched the team's season-best grid position, and out-qualified 11-year veteran de Cesaris. Motorsport journalist Joe Saward reported that after qualifying "clumps of German journalists were talking about 'the best talent since Stefan Bellof'." Schumacher retired on the first lap of the race with clutch problems.

Schumacher in Benetton After his debut for Jordan, Schumacher was signed by Benetton to drive a car similar to this B191 for the rest of the season.After his debut, and despite Jordan's signed agreement in principle with Schumacher's Mercedes management for the remainder of the season, Schumacher was signed by Benetton-Ford for the following race. Jordan applied for an injunction in the UK courts to prevent Schumacher driving for Benetton, but lost the case as they had not yet signed a contract. Schumacher finished the 1991 season with four points in six races. His best finish was fifth in his second race, the Italian Grand Prix, in which he outpaced his teammate and three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet.
At the start of the 1992 Formula One season the Sauber team, planning their Formula One debut with Mercedes backing for the following year, invoked a clause in Schumacher's contract which stated that if Mercedes entered Formula One, Schumacher would drive for them. It was eventually agreed that Schumacher would stay with Benetton, Peter Sauber commenting "Michael didn't want to drive for us. Why would I have forced him?". The year was dominated by the Williams of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese, featuring powerful Renault engines, semi-automatic gearboxes and active suspension to control the car's ride height. In the 'conventional' Benetton B192 Schumacher took his place on the podium at the end of the race for the first time, after finishing third in the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix. He went on to take his first victory at the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix, in a wet race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which by 2003 he would call "far and away my favourite track". He finished third in the Drivers' Championship in 1992 with 53 points, three points behind runner-up Patrese.
The 1993 championship was again dominated by the Williams-Renaults of Damon Hill and Alain Prost. Benetton introduced their own active suspension and traction control early in the season, last of the frontrunning teams to do so. Schumacher was partnered by Riccardo Patrese in Patrese's last year in F1. Schumacher won one race, the Portuguese Grand Prix and had nine podium finishes, but retired in seven of the other 15 races. He finished the season in fourth, with 52 points
In 1994, Schumacher won his first Drivers' Championship. The season, however, was a controversial one, marred by the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola and allegations of cheating.
Schumacher started the season strongly, winning six of the first seven races. Following the San Marino Grand Prix, the Benetton, Ferrari and McLaren teams were investigated on suspicion of breaking the FIA-imposed ban on electronic aids. Benetton and McLaren initially refused to hand over their source code for investigation. When they did so, the FIA discovered hidden functionality in both teams' software, but no evidence that it had been used in a race. Both teams were fined $100,000 for their initial refusal to cooperate. At the British Grand Prix, Schumacher was penalised for overtaking on the formation lap. He then ignored the penalty and the subsequent black flag, which indicates that the driver must immediately return to the pits, for which he was disqualified and later given a two-race ban. Benetton blamed the fiasco on a communication error between the stewards and the team. Schumacher was also disqualified after winning the Belgian Grand Prix after his car was found to have illegal wear on its skidblock, a measure used after the accidents at Imola to limit downforce and hence cornering speed. Benetton protested that the skidblock had been damaged when Schumacher spun over a kerb, but the FIA rejected their appeal. These incidents helped Damon Hill close the points gap. With Schumacher leading by a single point going into the final race in Australia, Schumacher made a mistake and left the track. After rejoining, he collided with Hill and crashed out of the race. Furthermore, the damage to Hill's car from the collision forced him to retire. Schumacher thus became the first German to win the Formula One World Championship.
In 1995 he successfully defended his title with Benetton. He now had the same Renault engine as Williams. He accumulated 33 more points than second-placed Damon Hill. With teammate Johnny Herbert, he took Benetton to its first Constructors' Championship and became the youngest two-time world champion in Formula One history. In one of the early races of the season Herbert set a faster lap time than Schumacher in qualifying. After that Herbert said he was prohibited from seeing Schumacher's telemetry.
The season was marred by several collisions with Hill, in particular an overtaking manoeuvre by Hill took them both out of the British Grand Prix near the start of the race. Schumacher won nine of the 17 races, and finished on the podium 11 times. Only once did he qualify worse than fourth; at the 1995 Belgian Grand Prix, he qualified 16th, but went on to win the race. After Schumacher left Benetton, the team would win only one more race before being bought by Renault in 2000.

Ferrari in its Best years
For 1996, Schumacher joined Ferrari, a team which had last won the Drivers' Championship with Jody Scheckter in 1979. By 1996, Ferrari was considered to have inferior technology and crews compared to front-running teams such as Benetton and Williams. Since that last championship win, various Ferrari drivers, notably Alain Prost, had given the vehicles labels such as "truck", "pig", and "accident waiting to happen". The poor performance of the Ferrari pit crews was considered a running joke.

Ferrari F1-2001 Formula 1 Racing car Driven By Michael Schumacher
Schumacher, along with Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Jean Todt, has been credited as turning this once struggling team into the most successful team in Formula One history. Three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart believes the transformation of the Ferrari team was Schumacher's greatest feat. Eddie Irvine also joined the team, moving from Jordan.
In 1996 Schumacher finished third in the Drivers' Championship. He won three races, more than the team's total tally for the period from 1991 to 1995. His win at the Spanish Grand Prix was a wet race, it is considered one of the best performances by an F1 driver. His method of attaining time from the car resulted in somewhat flamboyant and uncharacteristic driving, with oversteering However, the team had reliability trouble: Schumacher did not finish 6 of the 16 races. In the French Grand Prix Schumacher qualified in pole position, but suffered engine failure on the race's formation lap.
Schumacher battles with David Coulthard at the 1998 British Grand Prix.Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve vied for the title in 1997. In the first part of the season, Villeneuve held the advantage, driving the superior FW19. However, by mid-season, Schumacher led the Championship, winning five races, and entered the season's final Grand Prix with a one-point advantage. During the race, held at Jerez, Schumacher and Villeneuve collided as Villeneuve attempted to overtake. Schumacher retired from the race and Villeneuve scored four points to take the championship. Schumacher was held to be at fault for the collision and was disqualified from the Drivers' Championship.
In 1998, Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen became one of Schumacher's serious contenders. Häkkinen won the first two races of the season, gaining a 16 point advantage over Schumacher. But by the 14th of 16 races, Schumacher equaled the Finn with 80 points, having won six times. At the British Grand Prix Schumacher was leading on the last lap when he turned into the pit lane, crossed the start finish line and stopped for a ten second stop go penalty. There was some doubt on if this counted as serving the penalty but the win stood. Häkkinen won the Drivers' Championship by winning the final two races. With the Ferrari improving significantly and being faster in the second half of the season, Schumacher won six races and had five other podium finishes. Ferrari took a 1-2 finish at the Italian Grand Prix using the later outlawed mini sidepod wings.
Schumacher's efforts helped Ferrari win the Constructors title in 1999. His chances for the Drivers' Championship were made remote, however, at the British Grand Prix: At the high-speed Stowe Corner, his car's rear brake failed, sending him off the track and resulting in a broken leg. During his long absence, he was replaced by Finnish driver Mika Salo. After missing six races, he made his return at the inaugural Malaysian Grand Prix, qualifying in the pole position by almost a second. He then assumed the role of second driver, assisting team mate Eddie Irvine's bid to win the Drivers' Championship for Ferrari. In the last race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix, Häkkinen won his second consecutive title. Schumacher would later say that Häkkinen was the opponent he respected the most.

2000–2004:
World Championship yearsSchumacher won his third World Championship in 2000 after a year-long battle with Häkkinen. Schumacher won the first three races of the season and five of the first eight. Mid-way through the year, Schumacher's chances suffered with three consecutive non-finishes, allowing Häkkinen to close the gap in the standings. Häkkinen then took another two victories, before Schumacher won at the Italian Grand Prix. At the post race press conference, when asked about his feelings on equaling the number of wins (41) won by his idol, Ayrton Senna, Schumacher broke into tears. The championship fight would come down to the last but one race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix. Starting from pole position, Schumacher had the early lead, but soon lost it to Häkkinen. After his second pit-stop, however, Schumacher came out ahead of Häkkinen and went on to win the race and the championship.
In 2001, Schumacher took his fourth drivers' title. Four other drivers won races, but none sustained a season-long challenge for the championship. Schumacher scored a record-tying nine wins and clinched the world championship with four races yet to run. He finished the championship with 123 points, 58 ahead of runner-up Coulthard. Season highlights included the Canadian Grand Prix, where Schumacher finished 2nd to his brother Ralf, thus scoring the first ever 1–2 finish of brothers; and the Belgian Grand Prix in which Schumacher scored his 52nd career win, breaking Alain Prost's record for most career wins.
In 2002, a dominant year, Schumacher used the Ferrari F2002, which was widely considered to be far more advanced than the rest of the cars in Formula One to retain his Drivers' Championship. At the Austrian Grand Prix his teammate, Rubens Barrichello was leading but in the final metres of the race, under orders, slowed to allow Schumacher to win the race. In winning the Drivers' Championship he equaled the record set by Juan Manuel Fangio of five world championships. Ferrari won 15 out of 17 races, and Schumacher won the title with six races remaining in the season. Schumacher broke Nigel Mansell's and his own record of nine race wins in a season, scoring eleven and finishing every race on the podium. He finished with 144 points, 60 ahead of runner-up teammate Rubens Barrichello. This tandem finished 9 of the 17 races in the first two places.
Schumacher at Indianapolis in 2004, where he won the 2004 United States Grand Prix.Schumacher broke Juan Manuel Fangio's record for championship wins by winning the drivers' title for the sixth time in 2003, a closely contested season. The biggest competition came once again from the McLaren Mercedes and Williams BMW. In the first race, Schumacher ran off track, and in the following two, was involved in collisions. He fell 16 points behind Kimi Räikkönen. Schumacher won the San Marino Grand Prix and the next two races, and closed within two points of Räikkönen. Aside from Schumacher's victory in Canada, and Barrichello's victory in Britain, the mid-season was dominated by Williams drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, who each claimed two victories. After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher led Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Räikkönen by only one and two points, respectively. Ahead of the next race, the FIA declared illegal the front tyre design used by Michelin, supplier to Williams and McLaren among others.[46] Michelin had to rapidly redesign their tyres before the Italian Grand Prix. Schumacher, running on Bridgestone tyres, won the next two races. After Montoya was penalized in the United States Grand Prix, only Schumacher and Räikkönen remained in contention for the title. At the final round, the Japanese Grand Prix, Schumacher needed only one point whilst Räikkönen needed to win. By finishing the race in eighth place, Schumacher took one point and assured his sixth World Drivers' title, ending the season two points ahead of Räikkönen.
In 2004, Schumacher won a record twelve of the first thirteen races of the season, only failing to finish in Monaco after an accident with Juan Pablo Montoya during a safety car period when he briefly locked his car's brakes. He clinched a record seventh drivers' title at the Belgian Grand Prix. He finished that season with a record 148 points, 34 points ahead of the runner-up, teammate Rubens Barrichello, and set a new record of 13 race wins out of a possible 18, surpassing his previous best of 11 wins from the 2002 season.

2005–2006
Schumacher battling with Kimi Räikkönen during the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix.In 2005 Schumacher's sole win came at the United States Grand Prix. Prior to that race, the Michelin tyres, used by most teams, were found to have significant safety issues. When no compromise between the teams and the FIA could be reached, all but the six drivers using Bridgestone tyres dropped out of the race after the formation lap. However, rule changes for the 2005 and 2006 seasons required tyres to last an entire race, tipping the overall advantage to teams using Michelins over teams such as Ferrari that relied on Bridgestone tyres. The rule changes were partly in an effort to dent Ferrari's dominance and make the series more interesting. Less than half-way through the season, Schumacher said "I don't think I can count myself in this battle any more. It was like trying to fight with a blunted weapon.... If your weapons are weak you don't have a chance."[48] The most notable moment of the season for Schumacher was his battle with Fernando Alonso in San Marino, where he qualified 14th and finished only 0.2 seconds behind the Spanish driver.[49] Schumacher retired in six of the 19 races. He finished the season in third with 62 points, less than half the points of world champion Alonso.
2006 became the last season of Schumacher's racing career. After three races, Schumacher had 11 points and was already 17 points behind Alonso. He won the following two races, his first wins in 18 months, not including the boycotted 2005 United States Grand Prix. Schumacher was stripped of pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix and started the race at the back of the grid. This was due to him stopping his car and blocking part of the circuit, while Alonso, was on his qualifying lap. By the Canadian Grand Prix, the ninth race of the season, he was 25 points behind Alonso, and the three wins that followed helped him reduce his disadvantage to 11. After his victories in Italy and China, in both of which Alonso was plagued by mechanical failures, Schumacher led in the championship standings for the first time during the season. Although he and Alonso had the same point total, Schumacher was in front because he had won more races.
Schumacher overtakes Kimi Räikkönen with three laps to go of his final race, having dropped to 19th early on.The Japanese Grand Prix was led by Schumacher with only 16 laps to go, when for the first time since 2000 in Magnycours, France, Schumacher suffered engine failure. Alonso won the race and now led the championship standings by 10 points. With only one race left in the season, Schumacher could only win the championship if in that race he won and if Alonso did not manage to score a single point.
Before the Brazilian Grand Prix, the last race of his career, Schumacher conceded the title to Alonso. In pre-race ceremonies, football legend Pelé presented an award to Schumacher for his years of dedication to Formula One. During the race's qualifying session, Schumacher had the best time of all drivers through the first two sessions; but a fuel pressure problem prevented him from completing a single lap during the third session, forcing him to start the race in tenth position. Early in the race Schumacher pushed forward to the sixth position. However, in overtaking Alonso's teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, Schumacher experienced a tyre puncture caused by the front wing of Fisichella's car. Schumacher pitted and consequently fell to 19th place, 70 seconds behind teammate and race leader Felipe Massa. Schumacher recovered and overtook both Fisichella and Räikkönen to secure 4th place. His performance was classified in the press as "heroic", an "utterly breath-taking drive", and a "performance that ... sums up his career"

Retirement
While Schumacher was on the podium after winning the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari issued a press release stating that he would retire from racing at the end of the 2006 season. Schumacher confirmed his retirement in the post-race press conference. The press release stated that Schumacher would continue working for Ferrari. It was revealed on 29 October 2006 that Ferrari wanted Schumacher to act as assistant to the newly appointed CEO Jean Todt. This would involve selecting the team's future drivers. After Schumacher's announcement, leading Formula One figures such as Niki Lauda and David Coulthard hailed Schumacher as the greatest all-round racing driver in the history of Formula One. The tifosi and the Italian press, who did not always take to Schumacher's relatively cold public persona, displayed an affectionate response after he announced his retirement.



Honours
In recognition of his contribution to Formula One racing the Nurburgring will rename one of its corners after Schumacher. In a similar act of honoring Schumacher, he was awarded an FIA Gold Medal for Motor Sport in 2006.
The following year the Swiss Football Association appointed Schumacher as the Swiss ambassador for the 2008 European football championship. A month later he presented A1 Team Germany with the World Cup trophy at the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport 2007 awards ceremony. He received a standing ovation from the gathered crowd when he was announced on stage.
Schumacher has been hounored during his career. He has won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award twice, in 2002 and 2004 for his performances in the 2001 and 2003 seasons respectively. He has received nominations for the 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 awards. No-one has been nominated more times than Schumacher in the award's 7-year history.






Championship deciding collisions



Hill (left) and Schumacher (right)crash at the Flinders Street corner during 1994 Australian Grand Prix.Going into the 1994 Australian Grand Prix, the final race of the 1994 season, Schumacher led Damon Hill by a single point in the Drivers' Championship. Schumacher led the race from the beginning with Hill closely following him. On lap 35, Schumacher went off track, hitting a wall with his right side wheels.[70] It is unknown whether Schumacher's car was damaged. He returned to the track at reduced speed but still leading the race. At the next corner, when Hill attempted a pass on the inside while Schumacher was turning into the corner, Schumacher and Hill collided. Schumacher's car was tipped up onto two wheels and eliminated on the spot. Hill pitted immediately and retired from the race with unrepairable damage. As neither driver scored, Schumacher took the title. British author Alan Henry has written that Schumacher was blamed by "many F1 insiders" for the incident. The race stewards judged it a racing accident and took no action against either driver.
Michael Schumacher (red) and Jacques Villeneuve (blue) in the moment of the collision at the Dry Sack corner in the 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez.At the 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez, the last race of the season, Schumacher led Jacques Villeneuve by one point in the Drivers' Championship. Although Schumacher and Villeneuve had set the same time during qualifying, the Canadian driver started the race in pole position due to his being the first to set the time. By the first corner of the race, Schumacher was ahead of Villeneuve. On lap 48, Villeneuve passed Schumacher at the Dry Sac Corner. As he did so, Schumacher turned into the Williams, the right-front wheel of Schumacher's Ferrari hitting the left sidepod of Villeneuve's car. Schumacher retired from the race immediately while Villeneuve was able to finish the race in the third place, taking four points and so becoming the World Champion.
Two weeks after the race, Schumacher was excluded from the results for the season after a FIA disciplinary hearing disqualified him, finding that his "manoeuvre was an instinctive reaction and although deliberate not made with malice or premeditation. It was a serious error." This made him the only driver in the history of the sport to be disqualified from a World Championship. Schumacher accepted the decision and admitted having made a mistake.







Family and off-track life



Schumacher playing a football charity match organized by Luís Figo in Porto, Portugal.Schumacher's younger brother Ralf is a current Formula One driver. In August 1995, he married Corinna Betsch. They have two children, Gina-Maria (born in 1997) and Mick (born in 1999). He has always been very protective of his private life[81] and is known to dislike the celebrity spotlight, preferring a simple life. The family, currently lives in Gland, Switzerland near Lake Geneva, will move in 2007 to a new $50M, 7000 ft² (650 m²) home with its own underground garage and petrol station and with a private beach on Lake Geneva.
In 2005 Eurobusiness magazine identified Schumacher as the world's first billionaire athlete. His 2004 salary was reported to be around US$80 million.Forbes magazine ranked him 17th in their "The World's Most Powerful Celebrities" list. A significant share of his income came from advertising. For example, Deutsche Vermögensberatung paid him $8 million over three years from 1999 for wearing a 10 by 8 centimetre advertisement on his post-race cap. The deal was extended until 2010. He donated $10 million for aid after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. His donation surpassed that of any other sports person, most sports leagues, many worldwide corporations and even some countries.
Schumacher plays football for his local team FC Echichens. He has appeared in several football charity games[90] and organised games between Formula One drivers.
Schumacher is a special ambassador to UNESCO and has donated 1.5 million Euros to the organization.Additionally, he paid for the construction of a school for poor children and for area improvements in Dakar, Senegal. He supports a hospital for child victims of war in Sarajevo, which specialises in caring for amputees. In Lima, Peru he funded the "Palace for the Poor", a centre for helping homeless street children obtain an education, clothing, food, medical attention, and shelter. He stated his interest in these various efforts was piqued both by his love for children and the fact that these causes had received little attention. While an exact figure for the amount of money he has donated throughout his life is unknown, it is known that in his last four years as a driver, he donated at least $50 million.
Since his participation in a FIA European road safety campaign, as part of his punishment after the collision at the 1997 European Grand Prix, Schumacher has continued to support other campaigns, such as Make Roads Safe, which is led by the FIA Foundation and calls on G8 countries and the UN to recognise global road deaths as a major global health issue.
Schumacher provided the voice of a Rosso Corsa Ferrari F430 in Disney-Pixar's animated feature film Cars. In early March 2006, it was reported that Schumacher will play a small role in the movie Asterix at the Olympic Games

article published by:Abhilash

War of Words Between Formula 1 drivers Scott Speed and Mark Webber


Formula 1 drivers and rivals Scott Speed(Scuderia Toro Rosso) and Mark Webber(Red Bull) got into a war of words prior to the Canadian Grand Prix followinf an on track incident during qualifying.


Scott Speed's Scuderia Torro Rosso car hit Mark Webber form behind and both drivers blamed each other for the incident.


"At the end of the session, for some reason I don't understand, Mark did the most strange thing I have seen since I've been in Formula One," Speed said.


"I haven't been brake-tested like that since my karting days and I'll be interested to see what Mark has to say about that."


Webber was unrepentant after the incident, saying: "We managed to fall over each other. I think he was a little bit asleep initially but then we managed to wake each other up.


"It was ongoing from a few laps before. He never once let anyone through by going off-line, he always sent everyone down on the inside on the marbles and was doing his thing.


The next time up, we got the chequered flag but we were both still pushing on the in-lap and I had a look at Turn Six and I thought if he was going to co-operate there then he will, but he didn't.


"I said to myself 'OK, fair enough' and we went down to Turn Eight and I thought we were cruising down there and I was very close to the rear of him and he braked 100 metres earlier than the previous lap.

"I thought I was going to harpoon him big time, really big, but managed then to get my stuff together and get down the inside, and then went round the next corner quite slow."

Michael should be proud of former student Massa


If the current Formula 1 championship point standings are any indication then Michael Schumacher can be proud of his former student - Felippe Massa. Massa has proved himself a serious title contender to the Formula 1 title as well as the No. 1 driver in the Ferrari paddock - both positions which were once held by Michael Schumacher before his retirement.


Giancarlo Fisichella believes Ferrari young gun Felipe Massa is now reaping the rewards of a Formula One education at the side of Michael Schumacher.


The 26-year-old Brazilian has been in Formula One since 2002, starting out alongside current team-mate Kimi Raikkonen at Sauber.


Massa was a former team-mate of Fisichella before his big break came in 2006 when he got the chance to drive at Ferrari with Michael Schumacher. He won twice and finished third in the drivers' championship behind the German and world champion Fernando Alonso.


Says Fisichella "He's a good driver and he's learned a lot in the last couple of years, especially at Ferrari next to Michael"


"Now he's doing really well, he's really comfortable with the team and he's doing his best, and at least at the moment, he's quicker than Raikkonen."


"Obviously when I was his team-mate I was quicker than him most of the time and I scored more points than him but he's learned quite a lot and he's grown up for sure."

Rumour: Timo Glock to replace Ralf Schumacher


Looks like Ralf Schumacher will soon be joining his famous brother Michael Schumacher for skiing in Switzerland as he won't be having his job for long.


Despite denying rumours, the talk is that Toyota has already started looking for possible replacements for Ralf Schumacher and has even started talking to some of the prospects. The name which tops thw list of potential replacements is that of Timo Glock, former Champ Car World series driver. He is currently leading the points battle in the GP2 series in Europe.


The younger Schumacher is hoping to bounce back to at least earn his first point this season in Canada where he has had some of his best F-1 results with a win in 2001 and a second-place finish to Michael in 2003.


But if his practice time yesterday -- one minute, 19.331 seconds, which almost was three seconds off Fernando Alonso's pace and good enough for only 19th best on the day -- was any indication, it might be best for Schumacher to not book any hotel rooms beyond next week's USGP in Indianapolis.

Young Canadian drivers hoping to replace Jacques Villeneuve


There may be no Jacques Villeneuve or any other Canadians in this year's Canadian Grand Prix, but there is no shortage of young talented drivers in Canada as a look at the Formula BMW USA series will show.


Daniel Morad, Jeffrey Petriello, Yannick Hoffman, Philip Major and Maxime Pelletier are some of the promising talents in the Formula BMW USA series who come from Canada.


"North America doesn't really have a strong formula car presence. It's more sports cars and NASCAR, basically," Morad said. "But it's going to be difficult. Not a lot of people respect North Americans as race car drivers, so you really have to go over to Europe and perform. You have to show people what you have so they respect you."


Of course, drivers need sponsors willing to foot the bill for them to compete in Europe and Petriello said that is actually the biggest challenge for a Canadian driver.


"To replace Jacques Villeneuve in Formula One will be tough," he said. "It's always a question of sponsors. It's the driver who shows up at the right time and knows the right people who will be able to break through."