Comments on: F1 Racing vs Ralf Schumacher

By: KZS

KZS — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:18:17 +0000

While I understand the criticizm that Ralf gets (what did he think, he can tell the press what to write?), I think the sad thing about this whole story is how the chief editor (luckily only ex-chief editor by now) of the biggest selling F1 publication behaved. He could have criticized Ralf in a more intelligent way. I’m no Ralf fan but I’m a fan of basic human respect and if journalists behave like this suggesting their young readers this is something cool, I wonder what’s wrong with this World. I decided not to buy F1 Racing any more – one of the reasons is this, other is that drivers who they like cannot do wrong, drivers who they dislike cannot do right for them. This is a blatantly biased magazine, they also often use
their articles for personal wendetta, and on the top of that their journalists are blatantly arrogant!

By: Vertigo

Vertigo — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:35:51 +0000

Matt Bishop was wrong to get so angry with Ralf, but Ralf has got to realize that he can’t tell the press what to print. Hopefully Ralf will learn from this incident, read the article, and realize that he needs to start driving well if he is to keep his job. He’s a talented guy but he needs to stop thinking about the money before the driving.

By: Alianora La Canta

Alianora La Canta — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 15:22:46 +0000

Warning! Long entry and rant alert!

I am 21 years old and haven’t used any swear word since I was 11 (which was when I found out what swear words were). In fact, I was quite offended when I read that Matt Bishop used that word at Ralf Schumacher.

However, any sympathy I might have had for Ralf had disappeared about four paragraphs earlier when Ralf decided to use the photoshoot for his own ends. In doing so he made three distinct blunders:

1) The job of a journalist is to say what they see. If they like something they see, they’ll say so. If they see something they don’t like, they’ll talk about it in unfavourable terms. If Ralf thinks he’s getting too much of the latter, he needs to do stuff the press like (smiling more would be a good start, though some better performances would be better for his long-term prospects).

2) If Ralf had an issue with F1 Racing or any other journalistic organ, then he should have discussed it when neither of them had anything better to do. Stopping or delaying a photoshoot for any purpose is never going to make you look good to the press (as Robert Kubica has now found out – that’s in the same issue of F1 Racing).

3) What Keith has kindly not mentioned is that Ralf complained about his own team’s press representative during the exchange – while the individual in question was in the room. If you are negotiating with a team, it is a seriously bad idea to slight them in public!

Matt’s behaviour, while not good, was considerably better than Ralf’s. And Ralf, unlike Matt, is going to suffer more from this sort of behaviour. Especially since he’s at politically-correct Toyota (remember what they did to Mike Gascoyne – and all he did was rub some bigwigs up the wrong way in private!)

By: milos

milos — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 04:33:51 +0000

would we be discussing Hamilton’s f*** word, in a case him winning a race after an overtaking maneuvre in the last corner and started to shout at Dennis through the radio “This was f****** awesome!” ? Would anybody care at all about the F word ?

I think Clive got it spot on here

As for Ralf goes, it would not be easy to find too many publications that are complimentary about him and Toyota Whether it is fair or not is another question.

By: Clive

Clive — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 04:30:07 +0000

Just a brief response to Ollie’s comment: Silence does not necessarily indicate acceptance.

By: Rohan

Rohan — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 04:25:12 +0000

Whose gonna pay Ralf to drive next year? Toyota? Admittedly they have no sense at times but even they arent so daft. Unless he’s gonna go to Spyker or Super Aguri I dont see who has time for him. Its not even that he’s so surly. Admittedly the Toyota sucks at times but apart from the last couple races he’s never looked remotely interested. Toyota need a Michael. Someone who can motivate and drive the team.

By: Alex Andronov

Alex Andronov — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:18:19 +0000

I don’t want to sound like a Lewis crazy of course.

By: Alex Andronov

Alex Andronov — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:17:58 +0000

I agree with Clive (and others) society has changed. It doesn’t matter if some of us don’t swear and some of us stand up when a lady joins us at a table – the new generation don’t hold the same standards. This isn’t an indictment quite the opposite.

I’m not sure he said what they said though, it seems very un-Lewis…

By: Number 38

Number 38 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:44:52 +0000

GAWD! I must be an ancient dinoasur…….I NEVER use foul language, never have and will never have to! I learned to communicate in a civil fashion
but must admit youngsters like Hamilton et al have grown up in a society who’s standards are so low ……. enough said.

By: Ollie

Ollie — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:56:47 +0000

That line about Schumacher Jr caught my eyes as well. Despite F1Racing’s writings, I seriously think Ralf is going to hard pressed to get an F1 drive next year.

Regarding Clive’s comment above: In my experience, older people have cottoned on to the ‘slang-use’ of the word and while they may not use it in that context, they accept it when said by younger people. Although I do agree that what is said within a company should remain within a company. I swear at my boss on a daily basis, and he responds with the same. However, as recent experience has taught us, as soon as that leaves the office, other people can be offended and take words way out of context.