Michael Schumacher no longer possesses the ‘edge’ required to compete at the top level in F1. That is according to fellow German and ex rival Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who battled with Schumacher while driving for Williams and Jordan in the late 1990s.
Perhaps the most memorable Frentzen-Schumacher duel came at the 1997 San Marino Grand Prix, with the then double Champion attempting to overhaul the Williams driver who was able to hang on for his first of three victories. However, since returning to the sport in 2010, Schumacher has not impressed his former adversary.
“As you grow older, you tend to hesitate and become indecisive whether or not to push and take risks,” Frentzen told the IANS news agency. “You lose precious tenths of a second. I think Michael is at that stage of his career.”
When comparing his own career with Schumacher’s, Frentzen does admit:
“I think I took the wrong decisions while Michael took the right ones. In 1994, I joined Sauber and later that year I had an offer from Williams as a replacement for Ayrton Senna who had died. I rejected the offer as Sauber had given me a break into F1. But, when I eventually did join Williams in 1997, things had changed in the team.”
Since making his F1 comeback with Mercedes, Schumacher has been unable to finish on the podium and has ended the respective 2010 and 2011 seasons in overall ninth and eighth positions.
Also on Tuesday:
Former drivers line-up for i1Super Series
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