Michael Schumacher and Ford

Ford decided to offer Michael Schumacher a new contract, but here's the kicker: it's a lot smaller than his previous one! What do you guys think is the reason behind this? Also, do you think Ford will stick by Michael Schumacher if he doesn't secure the top spot this season?

Because they can find someone cheaper who’s just as capable! - total nonsense! 🙄
Because they want a clean break without the drama! - nonsense! 🙄
Because he’s gone soft and lost that killer instinct on the track! - complete rubbish! 🙄
Because they're just bored of him! - pure nonsense! 🙄

Elizabeth Hughes said:Look, there are plenty of other drivers out there who are just as talented but won't cost you an arm and a leg! - What a joke! 🙄

Mika Hakkinen beat Michael Schumacher twice to take the world title, and he was getting paid four times less!

Elizabeth Hughes said:They just want to get rid of him, but they’re trying to make it look classy! - What a joke!
🙄

Sometimes it’s just tough to put into words how intense the driving can be, especially when you're dealing with Michael Schumacher—the guy is legendary for his aggressive style!😁

Elizabeth Hughes said:He's just gone soft—he’s lost that killer instinct on the track! - What a joke! 🙄

So, he’s out there driving off-track and wrecking his car? That hasn't really been his thing this season. Honestly, it’s embarrassing that he still can't overtake Kimi Räikkönen. They’re driving cars with basically the same horsepower, yet even though Michael Schumacher has been paid twenty times more and everyone claims he's the greatest of all time, he can't get anything done! It's pretty obvious he's just getting old.

Elizabeth Hughes said:Because he was just bored with it! - What a joke! 🙄

Honestly, we’re all just exhausted by his ego and the fact that he thinks everything revolves around him. Thanks for calling it out!😛

The test driver for Ford just totaled yet another Ford Mustang, and now he’s sitting in a hospital bed. Word is, it was another mechanical failure!🙏

Q-master said:The Ferrari test driver just totaled yet another Ferrari 2003 era car, and now he’s sitting in a hospital bed. Word on the street is it was another mechanical failure!🙏

Elizabeth Hughes, this is your golden opportunity. Go ahead and apply to be a mechanic at Ferrari; once they realize how much you know, you'll probably end up running the entire damn team!🙂

Q-master said:The Ferrari test driver went and wrecked the new Ferrari 2003 era car again, and now he’s sitting in a hospital bed. Word is, it was another mechanical failure.🙏

That news is ancient... or maybe just from yesterday...
Pirro Badoer was admitted to the hospital for some checkups, but nothing serious happened to him...

Q-master said:Mika Hakkinen beat Michael Schumacher twice and still walked away with a world title, all while being paid about a quarter of what the guy was pulling.

Mika Hakkinen beat Michael Schumacher once because he was genuinely the better driver, and then he did it again simply because Schumacher broke his leg halfway through the season.
Whatever. You’ve gotta hand it to Mika Hakkinen, though—taking both titles like that was something else.

Q-master said:Sometimes it’s just hard to put into words how much someone is pushing themselves, especially when you're talking about Michael Schumacher, who’s always been known for that relentless, aggressive edge.😁

Just so you know, they were already dangling contracts in front of Michael Schumacher last season, and even looking ahead to his life after Formula 1. It looks like once he finally hangs up the helmet, there’s already a seat waiting for him in the management ranks—probably some high-level executive role or something along those lines.

Q-master said:We’ve all had enough of his ego and his constant need to be the center of attention. Honestly, I'm just done with him.

I don't give a damn about what you find boring. 😛

Terry Carter2 said:Once they finally figure out what you're saying, suddenly you're running the whole damn show!🙂

Well, if I'm running things, then this is how it’s going to look... 😁

Honestly, nobody can even hold a candle to you when it comes to Elizabeth Hughes; you’ve got a comeback ready for every single point, and they're always biting! To be perfectly honest, I’m actually a little intimidated to even start a debate with you. 🙏

Terry Carter2 said:...you’ve got an answer for everyone, and it’s always the exact same one!

Are you taking a little jab at me here... just a tiny bit... huh? 😛

Elizabeth Hughes says Luca Montezemolo said:Are you taking shots at me here... just a little bit... huh? 😛

No, I am dead serious! When it comes to Formula 1, there is nobody even close to you, let alone anyone equal!👍

Terry Carter2 said:No, I’m dead serious about this. When it comes to Formula 1, there just isn't any comparison, let alone anything even remotely close.👍

Give me a break... I'm starting to sound delusional... 😳
Keep going with that review style, just spitting teeth... 😎

This is what pops up whenever I try to start a new thread:
Access Denied. You don't have the clearance to view this page, which usually boils down to a few specific issues:
It looks like you're attempting to access a restricted area. Whether you're trying to meddle with someone else's post or poke around in administrative settings, you need to
check the forum rules to see if you actually have the authority to do that. If your intention was simply to post, it’s possible the site admin has suspended your account, or perhaps it's still sitting there waiting to be activated.
😕

Q-master said:Ferrari apparently decided to offer Michael Schumacher a new contract, though it’s significantly lighter on the wallet than his current one! I can't help but wonder why they'd pull such a move. Do you all honestly think Ferrari will stick by Michael if he isn't sitting at the top of the standings this season?

Q, I ended up voting for "Because there are cheaper drivers who are just as good," but frankly, I only did so because you neglected to include the most vital part of the equation: Because there are much, MUCH better drivers available for less money!😁

Terry Carter2 said:Honestly, there’s just no debating with you, Elizabeth Hughes; you always have an answer ready, and it’s invariably one that shuts everything else down! To be perfectly candid, I’ve actually started feeling a bit intimidated to even attempt a discussion with you. 🙏

I must admit, I've been feeling a similar sense of trepidation lately... whenever I sit down to type, my hand starts to tremble ever so slightly...😁
But I suppose I shall give it a go nonetheless...😛

Elizabeth Hughes mentions Luca Montezemolo:
Mika Hakkinen managed to beat Michael Schumacher once simply because he was genuinely the superior driver, and a second time only because Schumacher was sidelined with a broken leg halfway through the season.
Regardless, one has to tip their hat to Hakkinen for both those titles...

Michael was crowned champion twice following the passing of sennin—one of those times being after that rather nasty collision with Damon Hill, lest we forget—and on three other occasions, the car itself essentially snatched the championship away from him.
Still, I suppose we should give Michael credit for all five of his titles.🙄 😛

Come on, you're kidding me 🙄

Blackbird said:Michael became champion two ways because of Senna's death

Twice? You've gotta be kidding me...🙄

While I’m not usually one to defend MS and I tend to agree with Q-master, I think they missed the mark this time—honestly, every suggestion being floated right now is just nonsense, much like what Elizabeth Hughes said!

In my view, the real driver behind the contract reduction is a simple lack of cash—specifically, the fact that Fiat, as the lead entity at Ferrari, is facing serious struggles. It's similar to seeing mass layoffs at a massive steel mill in the Midwest; they're patching holes, canceling certain models or development phases, and slashing budgets. It probably finally dawned on someone that it doesn't look good to hand MS such a massive paycheck while simultaneously laying off 6,000 workers. They likely decided to trim Schumacher's pay slightly just so they could tell the staff, "Look, even Schumacher is taking a hit, so stop complaining and wait your turn." Besides, MS will probably bridge the gap between the old and new contract through sponsors and endorsements—so he won't actually lose out.

It feels to me like this is just a small precursor to what's coming for the entire Italian auto industry—and by extension, Ferrari—which is total collapse. They’ve simply fallen behind technologically; their cars are stunning from a design standpoint, but in terms of pure build quality, they lag behind the Japanese and Germans. To make matters worse, their production costs are significantly higher than everyone else's.

This might sound a bit dramatic or overstretched, but if you look back at the corporate collapses here in the US, it turns out the biggest losers often manipulated their numbers to look like winners—but you can only do that for so long. And frankly, the Italians are far more cunning manipulators than Americans (though they certainly do it with style), so it seems highly probable that the situation at Fiat is much grimmer than reported. Plus, how is the war in Iraq going to impact all of this?

Regardless, it looks like better days are ahead for McLaren and Williams.

Schumacher will probably stay behind the wheel at Ferrari for a long time since he’s simply the best