We all know that Formula One pilots drive their cars to the very edge of their limits. What separates the godlike from the rest of the field of extremely talented drivers, however, is how close they can get to the edge without going over it. Go too far and you crash. Don't go far enough and lose. Michael Schumacher certainly falls into that rare category – tops it, even – of the exceedingly talented and accomplished, but lately, we've begun to wonder if the unprecedented seven-time world champion hasn't lost it.
Following the rumors from just a couple of days ago that Schumacher had totaled a Ferrari 430 Scuderia prototype on the Nurburgring (turns out it could have been another test driver) comes word that Shumi was involved in a traffic collision on public roads in England. A car dealer in Kent, England, reports to have been hit by a Fiat van, only to discover that it was the champion himself driving. Sound incredible? Both local police and Schumacher's spokesperson confirmed it was him. Michael reportedly cooperated with police who turned up at the scene, handed over his insurance information and was then picked up and disappeared.
Following yesterday's report that Michael Schumacher had crashed a prototype Ferrari 430 Scuderia on the Nurburgring, some things have come into focus, but little has become any clearer. Ferrari insists that, although Schumi had been driving the car that day, it was actually the factory's road car test driver Raffaele de Simone who was driving when the car hit the guardrail at 250 km/h. Photographs show that the 7-time world champion had been driving the car with his young son Mick – himself just starting out in karting – riding shotgun... with neither of them wearing helmets. Meanwhile, though the car is being described as a prototype, nothing about the exterior of the car appears different (aside from the Perspex sliding windows, and of course the "aerodynamic modifications" around the rear left wheel), and though the car was described as a right-off, the damage looks quite minimal for a 155-mph collision.
Reports from the world of motorsport indicate that Michael Schumacher has totaled a new Ferrari prototype at the nefarious Nurburgring Nordschleiffe. According to the reports, Ferrari had rented out the track for the day when the team's former champion took out the test mule based on the 430 Scuderia that Schumacher himself helped develop. Just days after taking laps around Fiorano in the new California and presenting it to dealers in Maranello, Schumacher reportedly went off the damp track at over 250 km/h (155 mph) at the high-speed Schwedenkruz corner and hit a guard rail, severely damaging the car and forcing the test crew to switch to a second vehicle. Sources suggested that Schumacher had his son Mick riding shotgun at the time of the crash, however alternative reports suggest that factory test driver Raffaele DeSimone was driving, with Schumacher riding shotgun.
Although no official word has been given, it would seem that Schumacher escaped the incident uninjured, rendering the outcome of his shunt on "the Green Hell" better than that of his predecessor Niki Lauda, who nearly did in a fiery crash on the track some 32 years ago. As to what the prototype was being used to develop, however, is up to speculation: it could be the successor to the F430 or a new supercar to replace the discontinued Enzo.
Michael Schumacher may have departed the Formula One grid, but he has most definitely not left Ferrari. The seven-time world champion, widely credited with building Ferrari into the power house it is today, still comes around the paddock at various tracks around the world to give the Prancing Horse's latest creations – whether racing cars or road vehicles – a healthy dose of Schuey-trademarked punishment.
After having been intimately involved with the development of the 430 Scuderia – proclaimed as the fastest road-going Ferrari ever to lap the company's private circuit – Schumacher returned to Fiorano to give his input on Maranello's newest offering, the California. And while his opinion is hardly impartial, he certainly knows what he's talking about and his impressions were glowing. Speaking to the conference of Ferrari dealers assembled at the factory, Schumacher proclaimed that "the Ferrari California is very much a Grand Tourer in terms of its usability and high level of interior comfort, it is still surprisingly sporty and fun to drive under any kind of conditions." You could try arguing with him, but you'd probably end up losing – like most of the drivers that have ever tried to go wheel-to-wheel with the most decorated driver in history.
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The Race of Champions is scheduled to return to its new home at London's Wembley Stadium on December 14th. For those unfamiliar, the annual event pits a host of the best racing drivers in the world against each other on carefully-calibrated equal terms. The event is split between the solo competition and the nations' cup, the latter in which countries send their two best drivers to claim the honors for their homeland.
Last year's event saw DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom defeat Schumacher in the final rounds, after the two (pictured at right) made minced meat out of the rest of the field in a variety of vehicles including the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24, Ford Focus RS WRC, Fiat Grande Punto S2000 Abarth, an Opel/Vauxhall-based Solution F touring car and a purpose-built sprint car. This year retired seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher is set to return, teaming up with rookie driver Sebastian Vettel again for Team Germany. So far only Schumacher and Vettel have confirmed their participation for 2008 – last year Travis Pastrana valiantly held down the fort for Team USA on his own – but more are sure to join as the date approaches. Stay tuned.
Ferraris have long been known as striking and powerful machines, typically at the front of the pack in any competition. It should come as no surprise, then, that Ferrari the company is also a leader, extending that same philosophy to how it designs its manufacturing facilities. Late last millennium, the company launched its "Formula Uomo" plan to modernize production in a way that would be good for profitability, good for the environment, and good for the workers. With the opening of their latest new car assembly lines facility and company restaurant, they have reached that goal. The restaurant is a thing of beauty that allows workers a peaceful retreat from the factory. The new assembly lines reduce worker movements so they can work more efficiently, all while catching glimpses of the original plant's red walls through their huge windows. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Amedeo Felisa presented these most recent and final pieces in the "Formula Uomo" program, just over ten years after the launch in 1997. It cost the company something like 200 million euro to hire award-winning architects to design and build the new facilities.
The other bold move the company is making is the launch of a new magazine. Produced in conjunction with Condè Nast, this new Ferrari Magazine is a large-format mag that features "a lively and interesting mix of cars, racing culture, fashion and design seen from the point of view of the Ferrari world and the passionate individuals who buy these superb cars." What they said. This quarterly publication will be sent to 30,000 owners worldwide and will only be offered in English. A limited number of subscriptions will be offered to the public as well, at 250 Euro per year. Our CPAs tell us we can write this off. Expect Montezemolo and Schumacher to make regular appearances, as well as other company executives, designers, and even celebrity owners like Nick Mason. The magazine will capture everything Ferrari, with the December issue each year acting as a replacement for the annual yearbook.
As was reported earlier, Michael Schumacher made an appearance racing on a Honda at the Oschersleben circuit of the German Superbike Championship last weekend. On the surface, his twenty-eighth place finish seems rather disappointing, but upon further examination, it was a pretty good weekend overall for the ex-Formula 1 champ. Technical issues kept Schumacher from starting well, with only two racers behind him at position thirty-seven on the grid. Finishing all the way up to number 28 in the first race is a rather good outing considering the competition he was up against. In race two, Schumacher charged his way to position 21 before crashing out.
Despite the accident, Schumacher seems to have enjoyed his time on the track, saying, "I am a racer. I find motorcycles such a lot of fun, but I do not have any plans to enter a race series properly. Perhaps I will race from time to time, but always as a guest runner and without ambitions for another career." Good for you, Schumie.
Seven-time Formula 1 racing champion Michael Schumacher will be racing this weekend on a Honda CBR1000RR at the IDM International German Motorbike Championship. There are rumors that he'll be racing under a false name, Marcel Niederhausen. Now that the cat is officially out of the bag, so to speak, he may as well skip the alias. Schumacher will race alongside current champion Martin Bauer for Holzhauer Racing.
With this announcement, all of the previous events which Schumacher took part in start to make more sense. Superbike racing is very hotly contested, and the bikes feature nearly two-hundred horsepower in race trim. Therefore, it would have been an exceedingly bad idea to race in this series without a few warm-up runs. According to event organizers, the thirty-seven year old Schumacher has been testing for the last few weeks with members of his new team and "he surprised many experts with fast times." We can only hope that our "retirements" will be so enjoyable.
Seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher doesn't seem to have any desire to take it easy after retiring from the pinnacle of motorsports. It turns out that his four-wheeled racing excellence has translated rather nicely to two, and it sounds as if the ex-champ's perfectionist attitude continues on unabated as he now begins designing helmets for Schuberth. The German producer of brain buckets had previously supplied the headgear for Schumacher as he raced in F1 and currently provides the units for Ralf Schumacher, Nick Heidfeld, Felipe Massa, Kimi Räikkönen and Mark Webber. Though no details regarding pricing or availability have been released as of yet, Schuberth assures that its new 'Schuberth Race' helmet is "an extremely lightweight and aerodynamic helmet, filled with numerous technical and safety innovations." From the looks of things, the helmet, with its orange and grey highlights, would be perfect mounted atop a KTM rider's head.
"Retirement" is a relative term when you're the fastest driver in the world. Since stepping back from his Formula One career, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has remained a high-profile celebrity, often despite his best attempts to stay out of the limelight. When he's not under investigation for commandeering a taxi or dedicating buildings, he's competing ad-hoc in motorcycle races and coaching his son on a developing racing career of his own. Reports now suggest that Hollywood is offering Schumi a film on his life and career. According to reports, Schumacher himself could star in the film, while Bruce Willis has also been attached to the project to play race commentator Murray Walker. It wouldn't be Schumacher's first foray into film, following his cameos in kids' movies like Asterix and Pixar's Cars. Although Schumacher has yet to accept the offer, his longtime manager Willi Weber has confirmed that it's under consideration. If the project gets the green light, it could turn out to be the biggest racing film since Steve McQueen's Le Mans.
