Sir Jackie Schumi should have quit at top
09-05-2005, 09:59 AM
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Sir Jackie Schumi should have quit at top
Sir Jackie Schumi should have quit at top
Mon 05 Sep, 3:52 PM
Schumacher's fall from grace, after five years as champion with Ferrari, continued with Sunday's lowly 10th place in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
The 36-year-old German is now 48 points adrift of leader Fernando Alonso, with just 40 on the table heading into the final four races of a season that has been a lamentable one for a man who has won seven titles overall.
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At the end of the race Schumacher said: "The championship is over - at least for me.
"I have been champion for a long time, and I have been surprised at how long it has been. But I always knew it would come to an end one day."
Stewart, who was king of Formula One in 1969, '71 and '73, feels Schumacher will have to be champion again next season - in what could be his final year with Ferrari - if he is to be remembered in the right way.
"If he had retired last year he would have done so as the complete hero, the dominant person," said Stewart, who went out at the top when he won his last title 32 years ago.
"But he now has to win grands prix, and not just one or two, he has to win the world championship to prove his dominance again if he is going to go down in history as the man of his time.
"I actually would have retired whether I had won the world championship or not that year [1973]. It's always nice to go out on top, and he had that opportunity.
"It could be he has tainted his career. [Kimi] Raikkonen and [Fernando] Alonso have come in this season and they have overshadowed him.
"Sport is cruel and tough because you are judged on what you last did against the competition of the day.
"It doesn't matter if you have seven world championships because you can become immediately taken over by somebody else.
"There is no doubt Michael still has the drive and ability, but a lot of pieces have to be put together."
Stewart reckons Alonso will eventually become the new world champion this season, with the Spaniard now 27 points clear of Raikkonen following their respective second and fourth-place finishes at Monza.
"There's no doubt that at the present time Raikkonen has taken over the position of the dominant driver, ahead of Schumacher and Alonso," added Stewart, who yesterday celebrated the 40th anniversary of his first grand prix win which came at Monza.
"Without doubt the car of the year will be McLaren. Alonso's car is nowhere near as fast, so Raikkonen is still capable of winning it.
"But Alonso has a very good mind for such a young person and if he uses his head, and it's clear he does, then he will win the world title."
Mon 05 Sep, 3:52 PM
Schumacher's fall from grace, after five years as champion with Ferrari, continued with Sunday's lowly 10th place in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
The 36-year-old German is now 48 points adrift of leader Fernando Alonso, with just 40 on the table heading into the final four races of a season that has been a lamentable one for a man who has won seven titles overall.
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At the end of the race Schumacher said: "The championship is over - at least for me.
"I have been champion for a long time, and I have been surprised at how long it has been. But I always knew it would come to an end one day."
Stewart, who was king of Formula One in 1969, '71 and '73, feels Schumacher will have to be champion again next season - in what could be his final year with Ferrari - if he is to be remembered in the right way.
"If he had retired last year he would have done so as the complete hero, the dominant person," said Stewart, who went out at the top when he won his last title 32 years ago.
"But he now has to win grands prix, and not just one or two, he has to win the world championship to prove his dominance again if he is going to go down in history as the man of his time.
"I actually would have retired whether I had won the world championship or not that year [1973]. It's always nice to go out on top, and he had that opportunity.
"It could be he has tainted his career. [Kimi] Raikkonen and [Fernando] Alonso have come in this season and they have overshadowed him.
"Sport is cruel and tough because you are judged on what you last did against the competition of the day.
"It doesn't matter if you have seven world championships because you can become immediately taken over by somebody else.
"There is no doubt Michael still has the drive and ability, but a lot of pieces have to be put together."
Stewart reckons Alonso will eventually become the new world champion this season, with the Spaniard now 27 points clear of Raikkonen following their respective second and fourth-place finishes at Monza.
"There's no doubt that at the present time Raikkonen has taken over the position of the dominant driver, ahead of Schumacher and Alonso," added Stewart, who yesterday celebrated the 40th anniversary of his first grand prix win which came at Monza.
"Without doubt the car of the year will be McLaren. Alonso's car is nowhere near as fast, so Raikkonen is still capable of winning it.
"But Alonso has a very good mind for such a young person and if he uses his head, and it's clear he does, then he will win the world title."
09-05-2005, 10:17 AM
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