Frentzen: Age caught up with Schumi

[Dare]

  Another  batch of sour grapes for MS


One of Michael Schumacher's greatest rivals believes age has caught up with the seven-time World Champion.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who enjoyed a frosty relationship with Schumacher both on and off the track, says the 42-year-old Mercedes driver has lost the edge which made him such a formidable driver earlier in his career.

Schumacher has struggled since coming out of retirement, finishing ninth and eight in 2010 and 2011 respectively, and Frentzen believes there is a simple explanation for it.

"As you grow older, you tend to hesitate and become indecisive whether or not to push and take risks," he told IANS.

"You lose precious tenths of a second. I think, Michael is at that stage in his career."

The duo's rivalry dates back to the Mercedes Junior programme in Germany, but while Schumacher went on to claim seven World titles, Frentzen finished his career with only three race victories and 18 podiums.

"I think, I took the wrong decisions while Michael took the right ones," he said.

He added: "In 1994, I joined Sauber and later that year, I had an offer from Williams as a replacement for Ayrton Senna who died in a crash. I rejected the offer as Sauber had given me a break into F1.

"But when I eventually joined Williams in 1997, things had changed in the team.

"I had some good races and bad, but after I retired in 2003, I have never really missed Formula One, but have raced on and off in other series."

[John S]

If Frentzen is right about age freezing the reactions he must have suffered severe premature ageing himself whilst he was competing in F1. 

[Jericoke]

"I had some good races and bad, but after I retired in 2003, I have never really missed Formula One, but have raced on and off in other series."

Is there anything more telling?

MS tried to tell himself he was done, but he wasn't.

I can't imagine anyone who loves the sport just walking away from it.  

(Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate that the glare of the spotlight and absurd politics of sport can wear the love away... as can a frustrating lack of success.  I think that's a sad moment when the greats don't even love what they do.)

[Alianora La Canta]

To be fair, Heinz-Harald did say he made some wrong decisions in his career. Michael made good career decisions which gave him an ideal platform on which to build his talent as opposed to an inconsistent one. I think his performance at Jordan in 1999 is a fairer indicator of his ability than anything he did before or afterwards in F1 - a title contender in the right car but never likely to be a multiple world champion.

Though given the context of what Heinz-Harald is doing (he's in the i1 Series and was the fastest in yesterday's test by a small margin), it may also be an attempt to tell Michael, "Hey, you don't have to do F1 - there are other options for satisfying the racing instinct".

[Scott]

If Frentzen is right about age freezing the reactions he must have suffered severe premature ageing himself whilst he was competing in F1. 

  I was going to say the same thing...what caught up to HHF?  Oh yeah, the rest of the field.