intervista con Schumy

[Jean Valjean]

Interview with Michael Schumacher

When Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula One some 11 months ago, no one thought that the German would become a regular fixture in the paddock just a short time after. What is the seven-time world champion actually doing there, on the Ferrari pit wall? Why does he look so bored most of the time? And how has his life changed since he hung up his helmet?

By Mark Glendenning and Matthias Brunner

autosport.com contributing writers

From the rare glimpses that you get of him in the paddock this year, Michael Schumacher doesn't look as if he has ever been away.

You're aware that he's coming long before you see him, because his approach is always heralded by a clutch of photographers, all trying to jog backwards while scrambling to capture a shot without tripping over one another.

When he does appear, the walk is the same - quick, purposeful, and never breaking stride for an instant. He learned long ago that if he falters even for a moment, he'll be swamped.

The expression is unchanged, too - mostly neutral, but sometimes with a barely perceptible flicker of amusement (or possibly bemusement) at all the fuss over what is, essentially, a guy on his way to work.

And he has a knack of being able to look just over the left shoulder of about 30 people simultaneously, avoiding any eye contact without giving the impression of doing so. That's a talent in its own right.

In short, not much seems to have altered since the days when he would swap his jeans for a red race suit, steer his Ferrari out of the pitlane, and, in all likelihood, head upstairs for a press conference a little while later.

But the differences lie in what you don't see. Those around him always said that he was exceptionally good at coping with the pressure and attention that came with being Michael Schumacher. But while the spotlight is as bright as ever, his departure from the cockpit has given him the first real taste of freedom in his adult life.

"I am simply doing great," Schumacher says. "I know that I have done everything just right. I do not have second thoughts about not going to the gym. The pressure that I applied to myself is gone."

Schumacher was famed for his commitment to everything that he thought might be worth an extra tenth on the track, and that extended to his fitness regime. But when he hung up his helmet, his gym gear was not far behind. Proof, if any were needed, that he is moving on.

"Compared to what I did before, only a very little bit of my fitness program is left," he admits. "I just do what I want. And even if you might not see it, I have gained a couple of kilos!"

All athletes have to address the problem of filling the void left by their sport when they retire, and history has long shown that some have managed better than others. So it's difficult to imagine what it must be like for someone who spent more than a decade as one of the highest-profile sportsmen on the planet to make the transition into the 'real world'.

But upon quitting, Schumacher's first priority was to do as little as possible - something that is proving harder than he anticipated.

"I would not have thought that my schedule would fill itself so quickly again," he says. "I am less bored than I had expected to be. And I really wanted boredom!

"A lot of things simply popped up that I had not expected. I meet up with my friends, I travel a lot, and I basically do whatever I want. So the diary fills quickly. But the nice thing about it is, it is all in my hands. I feel free."

Even if he does manage to find some downtime, Schumacher is aware that the charms of doing nothing will wear off sooner or later, and that he will need to find something new into which to channel his energy. The question is, what?

"I really cannot say that have I found fresh challenges that would excite me so far," he admits.

"At Ferrari, there are constantly new opportunities coming up. But I could not pinpoint what exactly would be right for me. There is one thing I adore, however - helping to develop road cars. That is a lot of fun, and I believe that I can be of help (with that)."

In some ways, Schumacher's presence on the Ferrari pitwall at several races this year makes perfect sense: the Italian team have just undergone an enormous restructuring of their top-level staff, and anything that resembles continuity is a good thing.

In addition to being a driver, Schumacher commanded a managerial level of influence within Ferrari, so his intimate understanding of both the team and the people within it can only have been beneficial as the new structure was settling in.

But his new role also has its sceptics, not least because nobody seems to have a clear idea of how exactly he can fit into Maranello in the long-term, beyond simply turning up and 'being Michael'.

Surprisingly, Schumacher himself agrees.

"On that area, Ferrari and myself have not found a clear line yet," he says. "But we do not see ourselves under pressure to finalise something.

"I have to admit that my knowledge is restricted by time. I would have to freshen it up constantly in order to be of help. I see many former drivers who try to comment on what is going on but they are struggling. They are simply no longer deep in the business anymore."

That, Schumacher says, includes himself.

"I already realise that I am out of it," he admits. "You tend to lose certain capabilities to judge details. The way to fix that would be to be around the tracks all the time. But I can honestly say this is not an option for me."

His role on the pitwall at the races, however, is another matter.

"Now, that is something different," he interjects. "I am involved in certain discussions, I am in the briefings, I am aware of the details, and I can tell them what I think."

The Italian media revealed at Monaco that Ferrari had approached Schumacher to discuss the possibility of his replacing Jean Todt in a team principal role when the Frenchman moves on, but that Schumacher was not interested. It would defeat the purpose of having retired in the first place.

"Five days or more at work in an office far away from home, 12-hour days... no, that never was and never will be appealing to me," he states.

A comeback to the cockpit is out of the question for now ("I can really say that I have found the ideal moment to stop. I had thought about it long and hard, and I did the right thing"), and so, it seems, is the chance of a Schumacher dynasty.

"It is quite some time ago since [son] Mick and I went karting. Very often I hear that he is supposed to be as completely nuts about karting as his father, but that is not true. In fact, he has so many other things he is interested in. And at home in Switzerland, there is no karting track nearby."

In the prime of his life and unburdened by concerns of how to provide materially for his family, Michael Schumacher has the entire world at his feet. If only he could find the time to figure out what to do with it.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Some drivers, like Michael, leave the sport on their own terms. But others have their decision made for them, and one person who is at the centre of exactly that sort of speculation right now is the younger brother Ralf.

The younger Schumacher has had a sparse couple of seasons at Toyota, offering precious little in return for what has been reported as one of the highest driver salaries in F1. That the car has been uncompetitive has not helped his cause, although that doesn't explain why Ralf has been largely overshadowed by teammate Jarno Trulli during the first half of the season.

But while Michael doesn't disagree that Ralf is struggling to find form, he insists that the driver who has previously proven capable of winning six Grands Prix is still hiding somewhere behind the sunglasses.

"No one forgets how to drive overnight, especially not Ralf," Michael says. "Sure, there are a couple of things he has to deal with. And when your teammate is quicker than you, you simply have to work harder on yourself than on the car.

"Ralf knows where the problems lie. We had a long chat in Canada, where I told him what I noticed on the track."

Michael is adamant, however, that Ralf's F1 career is not over yet and hints that the 32-year-old's future may lie somewhere other than Cologne.

"I am sure that he will race next year," the older brother says. "I know where places will become available. And there are enough team owners to appreciate experience.

"Not every team has a Lewis Hamilton in the back room, I guess. Ralf is on his way back to finding his old speed."

[mauricefree]

Interview with Michael Schumacher

When Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from Formula One some 11 months ago, no one thought that the German would become a regular fixture in the paddock just a short time after. What is the seven-time world champion actually doing there, on the Ferrari pit wall? Why does he look so bored most of the time? And how has his life changed since he hung up his helmet?

By Mark Glendenning and Matthias Brunner

autosport.com contributing writers

From the rare glimpses that you get of him in the paddock this year, Michael Schumacher doesn't look as if he has ever been away.

You're aware that he's coming long before you see him, because his approach is always heralded by a clutch of photographers, all trying to jog backwards while scrambling to capture a shot without tripping over one another.

When he does appear, the walk is the same - quick, purposeful, and never breaking stride for an instant. He learned long ago that if he falters even for a moment, he'll be swamped.

The expression is unchanged, too - mostly neutral, but sometimes with a barely perceptible flicker of amusement (or possibly bemusement) at all the fuss over what is, essentially, a guy on his way to work.

And he has a knack of being able to look just over the left shoulder of about 30 people simultaneously, avoiding any eye contact without giving the impression of doing so. That's a talent in its own right.

In short, not much seems to have altered since the days when he would swap his jeans for a red race suit, steer his Ferrari out of the pitlane, and, in all likelihood, head upstairs for a press conference a little while later.

But the differences lie in what you don't see. Those around him always said that he was exceptionally good at coping with the pressure and attention that came with being Michael Schumacher. But while the spotlight is as bright as ever, his departure from the cockpit has given him the first real taste of freedom in his adult life.

"I am simply doing great," Schumacher says. "I know that I have done everything just right. I do not have second thoughts about not going to the gym. The pressure that I applied to myself is gone."

Schumacher was famed for his commitment to everything that he thought might be worth an extra tenth on the track, and that extended to his fitness regime. But when he hung up his helmet, his gym gear was not far behind. Proof, if any were needed, that he is moving on.

"Compared to what I did before, only a very little bit of my fitness program is left," he admits. "I just do what I want. And even if you might not see it, I have gained a couple of kilos!"

All athletes have to address the problem of filling the void left by their sport when they retire, and history has long shown that some have managed better than others. So it's difficult to imagine what it must be like for someone who spent more than a decade as one of the highest-profile sportsmen on the planet to make the transition into the 'real world'.

But upon quitting, Schumacher's first priority was to do as little as possible - something that is proving harder than he anticipated.

"I would not have thought that my schedule would fill itself so quickly again," he says. "I am less bored than I had expected to be. And I really wanted boredom!

"A lot of things simply popped up that I had not expected. I meet up with my friends, I travel a lot, and I basically do whatever I want. So the diary fills quickly. But the nice thing about it is, it is all in my hands. I feel free."

Even if he does manage to find some downtime, Schumacher is aware that the charms of doing nothing will wear off sooner or later, and that he will need to find something new into which to channel his energy. The question is, what?

"I really cannot say that have I found fresh challenges that would excite me so far," he admits.

"At Ferrari, there are constantly new opportunities coming up. But I could not pinpoint what exactly would be right for me. There is one thing I adore, however - helping to develop road cars. That is a lot of fun, and I believe that I can be of help (with that)."

In some ways, Schumacher's presence on the Ferrari pitwall at several races this year makes perfect sense: the Italian team have just undergone an enormous restructuring of their top-level staff, and anything that resembles continuity is a good thing.

In addition to being a driver, Schumacher commanded a managerial level of influence within Ferrari, so his intimate understanding of both the team and the people within it can only have been beneficial as the new structure was settling in.

But his new role also has its sceptics, not least because nobody seems to have a clear idea of how exactly he can fit into Maranello in the long-term, beyond simply turning up and 'being Michael'.

Surprisingly, Schumacher himself agrees.

"On that area, Ferrari and myself have not found a clear line yet," he says. "But we do not see ourselves under pressure to finalise something.

"I have to admit that my knowledge is restricted by time. I would have to freshen it up constantly in order to be of help. I see many former drivers who try to comment on what is going on but they are struggling. They are simply no longer deep in the business anymore."

That, Schumacher says, includes himself.

"I already realise that I am out of it," he admits. "You tend to lose certain capabilities to judge details. The way to fix that would be to be around the tracks all the time. But I can honestly say this is not an option for me."

His role on the pitwall at the races, however, is another matter.

"Now, that is something different," he interjects. "I am involved in certain discussions, I am in the briefings, I am aware of the details, and I can tell them what I think."

The Italian media revealed at Monaco that Ferrari had approached Schumacher to discuss the possibility of his replacing Jean Todt in a team principal role when the Frenchman moves on, but that Schumacher was not interested. It would defeat the purpose of having retired in the first place.

"Five days or more at work in an office far away from home, 12-hour days... no, that never was and never will be appealing to me," he states.

A comeback to the cockpit is out of the question for now ("I can really say that I have found the ideal moment to stop. I had thought about it long and hard, and I did the right thing"), and so, it seems, is the chance of a Schumacher dynasty.

"It is quite some time ago since [son] Mick and I went karting. Very often I hear that he is supposed to be as completely nuts about karting as his father, but that is not true. In fact, he has so many other things he is interested in. And at home in Switzerland, there is no karting track nearby."

In the prime of his life and unburdened by concerns of how to provide materially for his family, Michael Schumacher has the entire world at his feet. If only he could find the time to figure out what to do with it.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Some drivers, like Michael, leave the sport on their own terms. But others have their decision made for them, and one person who is at the centre of exactly that sort of speculation right now is the younger brother Ralf.

The younger Schumacher has had a sparse couple of seasons at Toyota, offering precious little in return for what has been reported as one of the highest driver salaries in F1. That the car has been uncompetitive has not helped his cause, although that doesn't explain why Ralf has been largely overshadowed by teammate Jarno Trulli during the first half of the season.

But while Michael doesn't disagree that Ralf is struggling to find form, he insists that the driver who has previously proven capable of winning six Grands Prix is still hiding somewhere behind the sunglasses.

"No one forgets how to drive overnight, especially not Ralf," Michael says. "Sure, there are a couple of things he has to deal with. And when your teammate is quicker than you, you simply have to work harder on yourself than on the car.

"Ralf knows where the problems lie. We had a long chat in Canada, where I told him what I noticed on the track."

Michael is adamant, however, that Ralf's F1 career is not over yet and hints that the 32-year-old's future may lie somewhere other than Cologne.

"I am sure that he will race next year," the older brother says. "I know where places will become available. And there are enough team owners to appreciate experience.

"Not every team has a Lewis Hamilton in the back room, I guess. Ralf is on his way back to finding his old speed."

beh Jean sai come non avessi molto in simpatìa MS (ed è un eufemismo) (ma Alonso me lo sta quasi rivalutando) ma se è annoiato lo capisco, non si sa bene cosa faccia lì al muretto a far nulla almeno apparentemente ...

Non prova le vetture nelle prove private, per dare dei consigli ai tecnici e piloti attuali (anche se a mio pare KR ora come ora sta finalmente facendo il massimo con la vettura che ha, e ieri si è visto).

Non avendo un ruolo specifico insomma, operativo nel team, se non quello di generico consigliere (ma di che?), è meglio che si dedichi alla sua famiglia...oppure obblighi contrattuali con la Ferrari o di riconoscenza (oppure di sponsors) ancora in corso lo portano (costringono§) a star lì a vegetare al muretto controvoglia.

Modificato Agosto 6, 2007 da mauricefree

[Jean Valjean]

infatti per quest'anno non lo vedremo più.

che si annoiasse era abbastanza evidente (come quasi tutti gli spettatori alla maggioranza dei GP : )