Long live the king? (a return to the world of F1 two decades ago)

What Bulgaria wrote 20 years ag piese auto online.

Long live the king? (a return to the world of F1 two decades ago)

Fernando Alonso has managed to dethrone Michael Schumacher this season. But is he really the new king of Formula 1?

History has a habit of repeating itself, there's no doubt about it... Last season, the Renault team shook up the status quo in Formula 1 just as it did in 1994/95, when it still bore the name Benetton. It simply did it - with an exceptional sporting spirit, a limited budget, ingenious technical solutions, an extremely reliable car and, last but not least, with a talented youngster in the cockpit...

24-year-old Spaniard Fernando Alonso managed to snatch the championship crown from the hands of the legendary Michael Schumacher before the end of the season – at the Brazilian Grand Prix. In doing so, he became not only the first Spanish champion in the queen of motorsport, not only the winner of the first driver's title with a Renault car, but also the youngest champion in the history of Formula 1 since Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the championship back in 1972.

"This all feels like a movie I'm watching for the second time," beams Alonso's personal manager and Renault team principal Flavio Briatore, with whom Michael Schumacher also won his first championship titles.

Of course, Briatore's statement is nothing more than a marketing gimmick - mentioning the youngest and the seven-time champion in one sentence significantly boosts the Spaniard's image. There is no doubt that Alonso is capable, but would the youngster from Oviedo stand up to a more detailed comparison between him and Michael, who has been subscribed to the championship crown for the past five years? Let's see...

TALENT

The seven-time world champion still has a significant advantage in this fundamental quality of a racing driver. Between 1991 and 1994, he made the world talk about the so-called Schumacher factor, capable of compensating for the weaknesses of a car and turning the tide of a race. What's more, in the years that followed, he proved the existence and effectiveness of this "magic" factor, winning a total of 7 world titles, 84 victories in championship rounds and 64 pole positions. It should not be forgotten that at least half of these victories were won by the German in a car weaker than those of his competitors, in rain, heat, on difficult tracks and despite breakdowns and setbacks - solely thanks to his unique will and his undeniable talent, which are the basis of this very "Schumacher factor".

Fernando Alonso (yet) cannot boast of anything like that, as he has not yet fought serious battles on the Formula 1 tracks. Before the race in Brazil, the Spaniard even prayed for it not to rain... Of course, no one is talking about the "Alonso factor" right now - not even among the Spanish fans who are excited about the championship title.

1:0 for Schumacher

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Both drivers were recognized as potential winners and champions early in their careers in the "flying circus". Both won their first race in their second season in Formula 1, and both became world champions in their fourth year of participation. Michael managed to win another title immediately after the first and, despite the presence of names such as Hill, Villeneuve and Hakkinen, established himself as a DRIVER in Formula 1. In contrast, Alonso is not considered to be the sole future ruler of the Grand Prix.

2:0 for Schumacher

FIGHTINGNESS

Michael Schumacher is the son of a chimney sweep, and Alonso's father is a master blaster. For both, life has been a struggle from early childhood, which continues to this day. "I will always fight," the German emphasized after the race in Brazil, and Alonso did not hide his satisfaction with this fact, because in his opinion, "victories against Michael are twice as valuable." Here there is a clear tie, with the rivals receiving one point each.

3:1 for Schumacher

NERVES

As was evident in several final duels for the title (1994, 1997 and 1998), this was Schumacher's weakest point. In contrast, Alonso demonstrated enviable composure, winning his world title with just one mistake - contact with the concrete wall in Montreal.

3:2 for Schumacher

ERRORS

On the way to his first world title, Alonso made fewer mistakes than Schumacher did at the time. In a head-to-head match, the "Prince of Asturias" behaves much more restrained than the German driver.

3:3 Draw

DISCIPLINE

It often happened that at dusk the engineers would force the perfectionist and workaholic Schumacher out of the car... In contrast, Alonso sees the work on the development of the car simply as a duty. Here things are clear.

4:3 for Schumacher

PHYSICAL FORM

Alonso is a professional, while Schumacher is an exceptional athlete. After races in high temperatures, the Spaniard looks visibly exhausted – typical examples in this regard are the race in Bahrain, where Alonso had to sit down after the awards ceremony, and the Brazilian Grand Prix, in which the Spaniard was forced to lean his helmet on the side wall of the cockpit during fast left-hand turns. Schumacher rather enjoys extreme exertion, but suffers more mentally when something is wrong with his car. Both love football, but on the field Michael seems to be in better shape.

5:3 for Schumacher

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

With endless patience and incredible effort, Schumacher managed to turn Ferrari from a chaotic mess into a perfectly functioning championship team. Alonso, on the other hand, was led and allowed to be led by his team managers.

8:3 for Schumacher

SPORTSMANSHIP

It is no secret that the dethroned champion has earned the respect of other Formula 1 drivers, not least because of his rather tough behavior in controversial situations on the track. And last season he was criticized by several of his colleagues for the collision with Heidfeld in the debut race in Melbourne. The positive thing in this case is that in the meantime Schumacher admits and accepts his mistakes more easily than a few years ago. The Spaniard surprised many with his openly expressed sympathy ("It's just not fair!") for the bad luck of his rival for the title Kimi Raikkonen from the McLaren-Mercedes team. At the same time, however, Alonso unceremoniously and quite dangerously blocked David Coulthard from Red Bull in the race at the Nurburgring. But in the end, real racers should be able to help each other with their elbows sometimes... A slight advantage for the first Ferrari driver.

7:3 for Schumacher

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Both have been racing (in karts) since childhood. Schumacher has so far participated in 228 Formula 1 rounds, while Alonso has only 67. In total, Michael has more kilometers in the lead on the track than his successor has in any Grand Prix race… No comment is necessary!

8:3 for Schumacher

ADVERTISING POTENTIAL

It's hardly a fair comparison... Schumacher's name has been a symbol of success and perfection for a decade, and his services have been used by global brands such as Fiat, Shell and Vodafone. Alonso can contrast this brilliance with his image as a young hope in the Renault team, suitable for advertising fashionable sunglasses.

9:3 for Schumacher

MONEY

Together is the proceeds

from advertising, Alonso earns about $14 million a year, while Schumacher easily brings in four times that income – for ten years without a break… The managers of both are some of the most dangerous sharks in the business – Flavio Briatore (Mr. 40%) and Willy Weber (Mr. 20%).

10:3 for Schumacher

LIFESTYLE

Schumacher hardly knows how far his vast Swiss estate extends and is probably not worried about the cost of his Challenger private jet, but at the same time, there is hardly anyone who would envy his wealth. Since he is not yet married, Alonso does not need serious real estate and has clearly concentrated on accumulating funds, which is by no means a disadvantage. Equal points for both.

11:4 for Schumacher

PERSONAL LIFE

The ambitious and aggressive Schumacher on the track is quite calm outside of Formula 1. Michael has always emphasized his attachment to his family and his only partner in life, while in the last twelve months of his career Fernando Alonso has already changed two beauties. At the moment, "Fern" does not have a solid relationship, as the fame that has overtaken him probably prevents him from distinguishing real from fake love. In general, the Spaniard is rather shy and does not rush into his choice. Again, one point for both of them.

12:5 for Schumacher

PROSPECTS

Both have signed contracts that expire at the end of next season, and both do not hide that their plans for the future are completely open. It is not excluded that the rivalry between the two will continue under other company colors, as the rule that Alonso is strong with his youth, and Michael - with his experience, will continue to apply in full force in the future. For now, it can be said that the twelve-year age difference is still not as important as the difference in the qualities of the cars they drive. Therefore, by this criterion, the result is equal.

13:6 for Schumacher

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, Michael Schumacher remains the strongest driver in the history of Formula 1. On the other hand, the times when his great talent helped him compensate for weaknesses in tires or aerodynamics, for example, are clearly gone forever. Youngsters like Alonso and Raikkonen are too temperamental and fast to allow him such superiority...

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Fernando Alonso has managed to dethrone Michael Schumacher this season

History has a habit of repeating itself, there's no doubt about it