When a Driver should leave racing?

[ecapdeville 0]

Hello my friends,

With all the romours of the Schumacher

[zDK 0]

you didn't mention Hakkinen!

[Senna 0]

I think a driver should leave when any of the following realisations are felt:

1. He is too slow.

2. He doesn’t want to compete anymore and thus looses motivation and interest.

3. He feels there is no point taking the risks of driving the cars and becomes increasingly overtly safety conscious.

[webber 0]

and also when thay get to old for the sport. M$ has money to retier on so why should he stay in the sport if there is no one to chalange him.

[nojvnof1 0]

I think a driver should leave when any of the following realisations are felt:

 

1. He is too slow.

2. He doesn

[ecapdeville 0]

All things you have said are allright, but my principal question is:

Should a Champion retire as a "champion" as a winner, as the best, or like other drivers, continue driving while he gets slower, in 2nd table teams fighting for the midle positions or maybe a podium.

I remember D.Hill fighting with the arrows after being champion with Williams. (except for that really great race al Hungary!), J.Villenueve with BAR (he deserved something really better).

Maybe the word "retirement" is a little far away, maybe I must just say "leave F1"?

greetings from mexico city

[juany 0]

but dont forget Damon's career didnt end with Arrows, he went to Jordan after and gave them their first victory, albeit with Ralf told to hold station behind him.

Damo still went one too many seasons though.

[Senna 0]

Damon was far better than Ralf at Spa `98. He passed Mika Hakkinen at the second start and was leading MS in a much weaker car before the German inevitably found a way past the Jordan. The only reason Ralf was anywhere near Damon at the end of the race was because the safety car bunched them all up again after Damon had built up a lead – once DC and MS had had their incident. There was no danger that Ralf would overtake his teammate, he simply wouldn’t be able to in the first place, and also Eddie had obviously told his drivers to hold their positions to guarantee a 1,2 finish instead of risking a crash for the sake of reversing that 1,2. With the end result being the same in the team’s eyes, only the potential reversal much more dangerous, it is obvious to see why the order was issued.

[juany 0]

Yes I agree, although after Ralf did catch up after the safety car, he did seem to have more pace than Damon.

[nichosnz 0]

Eddie had obviously told his drivers to hold their positions to guarantee a 1,2 finish instead of risking a crash for the sake of reversing that 1,2. With the end result being the same in the team

[boftolod 0]

I'm with nojvnof1! The drivers should decide when to retire, unless he is dropped from a team, it should be up to him. If he still has the motivation, why should he quit just because he is winning everything and the spectators want something new. this something new has to prove himself and what better way to prove yourself than against the best.

[nichosnz 0]

We all know people in F1 have short memories, so when MS does finally call it quits, all the journalists will say "I said it would happen this year", forgetting that they have said so every year since 1999.

[boftolod 0]

you got that right! Same as DC and the "It's going to be my year" crap. one day it might and he will say "I told you so"

on a different note, YAY I'm now a rookie! It's only taken me 14 Months!