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Old 04-29-2004, 04:06 PM   #26
ShockWave
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA
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I certainly think that we are in the presence of greatness with M. Schumacher. The "whose better" debate has fallen all the way to Schumacher vs. Nuvolari, a driver of completely different cars running completely different roads in a completely different era. Confidentially--I think if you could put the two against each other, Schuey would adapt within two races and school Nuvolari.

That being said, this is definitely bad for Formula 1. Can Am is my example. Can Am was an interesting race with a number of rivalries, until the Donohue developed 917-30s showed up. People are talking about Schumacher sweeping the season, or all but a race or two, well Mark Donohue did it. And Can Am was dead shortly thereafter.

Granted it's predecessor, ALMS, is growing well but the races are very different. Four classes running four different speeds means there is always passing going on somewhere. And they are lucky, as Dr. Panoz has turned out to be quite the race promoter! Still, I think the prototype class will need to be completely overhauled or it will become altogether irrelevant.

Now I understand we are talking about completely different series here, but I think we'll see the same results. The small teams will get squeezed out as sponsors leave - Minardi, Jordan. Manufactures will fail to be able to justify the expense, and the embarrassment, and will bow out - Jaguar, Toyota, and Mercedes. That leaves Ferrari, Williams BMW, and Sauber. Six cars.

Go ahead, picture a starting grid with only three rows. The engine swap penalty wouldn’t even apply!

I suppose new small teams could arrise, but when was the last time a small team entered F1? It's been one disaster after another for the little guys and I don't see that turning around.
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