Despite rumours to the contrary, the seven-time World Champion, and man who many regard as the greatest Formula One driver in history, will not make a surprise return to Ferrari.
Since Felipe Massa suffered the horror accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the rumour mill has been in overdrive suggesting that the “iceman” was to make a shock re-entry to the highest level of motorsport.
The German still remains on the prancing horse’s payroll, earning four million pounds a year as an technical advisor and ambassador, befitting his status as the constructor’s record holding driver.
However, the close friend of Massa last raced in a Grand Prix in October 2006, and has not even tested a Formula One car in well over a year.
Schumacher, now 40, also injured his shoulder earlier this year on a motor cycle, and by his own admission would be far from being in the physical condition that he was famed for. The ruthless legend was said to be the fittest man on the circuit, and no doubt he would have scaled back his impressive fitness regime since hanging up his helmet nearly three years ago.
Schumacher’s manager Willi Weber confirmed that there would not be a sudden return.
After having talks with the German on Monday in Geneva, it was confirmed that whoever sits in the famous red car at Valencia, will not be Ferrari’s most decorated hero.
“I am not 100 per cent sure, I am 200 per cent sure,” Weber said.
The decision in hindsight was quite easy to understand.
Schumacher was regarded as possibly the most methodical and calculating race driver the world had ever seen, meticulous in his preparations and spending inane amounts of time consulting with technical staff in ensuring that the set up of his fearsome red machine was perfect.
A sudden return, despite the circumstances, would see huge pressure on the German to win, most of all from him; and in effect as Weber said, this would be a gamble.
And that is not the style of the iceman.
For Massa, while reports continue to reveal that his condition improves by the day, it appears that his racing career may be over, with serious damage to his left eye preventing him from ever being behind the wheel of the high performance Formula One racing cars.
Spanish test driver Marc Gene is scheduled to take part in testing in Italy, a possible cursor to him being named as a short term replacement for the Brazilian.
Massa, the runner up to the 2008 championship, ironically scored his first ever Formula One podium at the Nurburgring, finishing behind then Ferrari teammate Schumacher.
He was scheduled to remain with Scuderia Ferrari till 2010, but it appears now that the eleven time race winner, and former Sauber driver has unfortunately raced his last race.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
2009 Ashes – 3rd test preview and analysis
After recording their maiden first-class win of this tour with a solid victory over Northamptonshire, the tourists probably raised more questions for themselves than the match answered.
The biggest problem for Australia is their pace battery.
Australian vice captain Michael Clarke has confirmed that Brett Lee is basically a non-starter for the third test at Edgbaston, robbing the tourists again of what should have been their most potent strike weapon on this tour.
His “deputy” and anointed senior bowler Mitchell Johnson has been quite simply terrible.
It has been widely reported that he had an argument with his mother Vikki Harber, claiming that Johnson’s fiancée Jessica Bratich had “stolen her son”.
This could be true, or it could be vintage Shane Warne and Kim Hughes winding up the media.
Either way, the man who arrived in England with a fearsome reputation after his heroics in South Africa took a combined 8 for 331 in the first two tests. He followed this up with a return of 1 for 65 in the tour match, dismissing a lone tailender David Wigley, and going for six an over. It did not stop there, as he also dropped a plum chance of Stuart Clark.
Clark, the forgotten man of the Australian bowling attack, took two wickets in a solid display. He might have had more was it not for dropped chances off Johnson and Phillip Hughes, but forms a compelling case for selection.
He can, a la Glenn McGrath, provide the necessary accuracy and accompanying strangled pressure that Australia has relied on for years throughout their perhaps bygone era of cricketing dominance.
Something that was missing in the first two tests.
The Australian camp has closed ranks around Johnson, with players and Coach Tim Nielson coming to the support of the beleaguered paceman.
But while he may be given some slack considering his feats barely a few months ago, a growing cacophony of cries call for his sacking, led by former test captain Allan Border.
The only factor that may be in Johnson’s favour is the fact that Nathan Hauritz, who has come of age in England, may be dropped with wide ranging reports that the Edgbaston pitch may be a soggy and a seamer’s paradise.
Certainly, Ponting will recall the horrors on the same ground four years ago, where he sent England into bat only for the home team to make 407 in the first day.
To further complicate matters, Shane Watson and Andrew McDonald had marvellous matches against the county team. Watson scored two half centuries for the match, and McDonald knocked 75 in the second as well as taking 4 for 15.
However, the only two batsmen whose places could be at risk, either Hughes or Michael Hussey, made solid contributions with the willow and should be safe; despite the appealing option of having another bowling option considering Australia’s inability to take English wickets.
For the home team, buoyed with a brilliant test victory at Lords, they too will go into the third test with concerns over their playing roster.
Kevin Pieterson is of course out of the series with his Achilles surgery, and while trump card Andrew Flintoff is likely to play, he will not be at full fitness with a heavy recovery schedule being utilised for the dynamic Lancashire all rounder.
He has even been sleeping with a compression machine strapped to his troublesome knee.
But it may not be for his talismanic bowling that Freddie will be required for, with England’s batting order looking vulnerable without the explosive Pieterson.
Ian Bell has been confirmed by captain Andrew Strauss as the new England number four, and will likely combine with Ravi Bopara in a middle order that features poor reading in regards to Ashes statistics. However the latter did score 43 and 104 in England’s warm up against Warwickshire.
The spectre of Steve Harmison could bolster an England bowling attack that relies heavily on Flintoff, but at this stage the home team appears to be slightly stronger in both experience and options with the ball.
As for the ground itself, bookmakers have stated that a draw is the most likely result.
The pitch has played 16 draws in its last 20 first-class matches, and rain is forecast in the West Midlands over the next four days.
Steve Rouse, the curator of Edgbaston, has remarked that the pitch was like jelly, but the conditions could favour or disturb the respective bowling attacks.
The reality is that England as home team, one up in the series, will head to the third test as favourites, with all and sundry knowing that this is one of the weakest Australian ashes teams to ever walk on enemy territory.
However, irrespective of their strength or experience, Strauss knows that a wounded Australia is a dangerous beast whatever the colour of its coat, and while the English may lift against the baggy green, the same is certainly true for the tourists when it comes to an Ashes contest.
The biggest problem for Australia is their pace battery.
Australian vice captain Michael Clarke has confirmed that Brett Lee is basically a non-starter for the third test at Edgbaston, robbing the tourists again of what should have been their most potent strike weapon on this tour.
His “deputy” and anointed senior bowler Mitchell Johnson has been quite simply terrible.
It has been widely reported that he had an argument with his mother Vikki Harber, claiming that Johnson’s fiancée Jessica Bratich had “stolen her son”.
This could be true, or it could be vintage Shane Warne and Kim Hughes winding up the media.
Either way, the man who arrived in England with a fearsome reputation after his heroics in South Africa took a combined 8 for 331 in the first two tests. He followed this up with a return of 1 for 65 in the tour match, dismissing a lone tailender David Wigley, and going for six an over. It did not stop there, as he also dropped a plum chance of Stuart Clark.
Clark, the forgotten man of the Australian bowling attack, took two wickets in a solid display. He might have had more was it not for dropped chances off Johnson and Phillip Hughes, but forms a compelling case for selection.
He can, a la Glenn McGrath, provide the necessary accuracy and accompanying strangled pressure that Australia has relied on for years throughout their perhaps bygone era of cricketing dominance.
Something that was missing in the first two tests.
The Australian camp has closed ranks around Johnson, with players and Coach Tim Nielson coming to the support of the beleaguered paceman.
But while he may be given some slack considering his feats barely a few months ago, a growing cacophony of cries call for his sacking, led by former test captain Allan Border.
The only factor that may be in Johnson’s favour is the fact that Nathan Hauritz, who has come of age in England, may be dropped with wide ranging reports that the Edgbaston pitch may be a soggy and a seamer’s paradise.
Certainly, Ponting will recall the horrors on the same ground four years ago, where he sent England into bat only for the home team to make 407 in the first day.
To further complicate matters, Shane Watson and Andrew McDonald had marvellous matches against the county team. Watson scored two half centuries for the match, and McDonald knocked 75 in the second as well as taking 4 for 15.
However, the only two batsmen whose places could be at risk, either Hughes or Michael Hussey, made solid contributions with the willow and should be safe; despite the appealing option of having another bowling option considering Australia’s inability to take English wickets.
For the home team, buoyed with a brilliant test victory at Lords, they too will go into the third test with concerns over their playing roster.
Kevin Pieterson is of course out of the series with his Achilles surgery, and while trump card Andrew Flintoff is likely to play, he will not be at full fitness with a heavy recovery schedule being utilised for the dynamic Lancashire all rounder.
He has even been sleeping with a compression machine strapped to his troublesome knee.
But it may not be for his talismanic bowling that Freddie will be required for, with England’s batting order looking vulnerable without the explosive Pieterson.
Ian Bell has been confirmed by captain Andrew Strauss as the new England number four, and will likely combine with Ravi Bopara in a middle order that features poor reading in regards to Ashes statistics. However the latter did score 43 and 104 in England’s warm up against Warwickshire.
The spectre of Steve Harmison could bolster an England bowling attack that relies heavily on Flintoff, but at this stage the home team appears to be slightly stronger in both experience and options with the ball.
As for the ground itself, bookmakers have stated that a draw is the most likely result.
The pitch has played 16 draws in its last 20 first-class matches, and rain is forecast in the West Midlands over the next four days.
Steve Rouse, the curator of Edgbaston, has remarked that the pitch was like jelly, but the conditions could favour or disturb the respective bowling attacks.
The reality is that England as home team, one up in the series, will head to the third test as favourites, with all and sundry knowing that this is one of the weakest Australian ashes teams to ever walk on enemy territory.
However, irrespective of their strength or experience, Strauss knows that a wounded Australia is a dangerous beast whatever the colour of its coat, and while the English may lift against the baggy green, the same is certainly true for the tourists when it comes to an Ashes contest.
Monday, July 13, 2009
How to lose an Ashes series – by England
2009 Ashes, first test review
You would think that with just one Ashes triumph since 1989 that England would have approached the first test on red alert, DEFCON 1 and all other affiliated battle station analogies.
But they clearly walked into the first test at Cardiff thinking that an Australian team sans some of the greatest players of all time would be a fairly easy proposition for them.
After all, they had just defeated the calypso kings, the West Indies, by 10 wickets in the first test and by an innings and 83 runs in the second.
The same West Indian team that is barely seventh on the test rankings, and in complete disarray, now striking over collective pay issues.
The English also made the right noises, by and large, coming into the tests.
(Kevin Pietersen is making all the wrong noises, first saying that you need to divorce yourself from the occasion i.e. that an Ashes contest is the same as any other test match, and then remarking that his failed second innings performance only worried the media, it didn’t worry him).
England acknowledged that, despite the lack of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matt Hayden, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn among others (my god, what a collection of players!) that this was still Australia, we know what we are up against, and so forth.
They also said that focus, discipline and intensity would win this series.
They didn’t back any of this up.
There were some grave underestimations on the part of the English as well.
They forgot that Australian cricketers have long memories, and the pain of the 2005 Ashes loss, while somewhat forgotten with the 2007 whitewash, would only be erased with a statement made back on the hallowed grounds of England.
England forgot that there was still some very good players in this Australian team, thinking that with Australia’s only 300 wicket taker (they used to have two 500 plus bowlers) Brett Lee out as well, that it would be a pretty simple task.
After all, the entire Australian bowling attack had barely 40 tests between them, with over half of them belonging to Mitchell Johnson.
They forgot that Captain Ricky Ponting, for all the criticisms levelled at him about his captaincy, is still one of the finest batsmen in the game, and history will remember him as one of the greats with a blade. Equally, while he is not recognised by many as the captain that Allan Border or Steve Waugh was, he still has the same sheer bloody mindedness evident in his predecessors.
And, while it is not the swaggering front five; all with 50+ test averages batting line up that haunted the world’s bowlers for years, it is still a competent test line.
While Michael Hussey continues to be out of form (it is almost mocking to call him Mr Cricket now) the talents of vice captain Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, and Marcus North will now surely be noted by England.
But most importantly, this was an Australian side that has had to scrap their way through toughest cricketing theatres in the last 12 months.
You could not ask for a more uncompromising preparation than India in the subcontinent, South Africa beating you on the previously unbeatable Australian soil, and having a return series against the same team.
England showed a borderline arrogance throughout this match.
No batsmen knuckled down and dominated the novice tourist attack. For every batsman to reach double figures is one thing. But for seven players to reach 30 and three to pass 50, and not score a hundred in an Ashes test match is a cardinal sin.
It was the same with their bowling.
To not use Freddie Flintoff as an opening strike weapon, when he is your best bowler, is a terrible transgression. It is like Hitler asking his military to keep all the U-boats, Panzers and Messerschmitt’s locked away just in case.
Their attack was in stark contrast to Australia, as players who had never played in an Ashes contest bowled with the determination and spirit that wins test contests. If Johnson can find the form of a few months ago, it will be a fearsome attack if and when Lee returns.
The most telling signal as to England’s mindset was at the end of the match.
An admittedly weaker Australia, after dominating for close to four out of five days, could not quite kill the English off, but came very close. A test match draw, and we now head to the second test with the series at 0-0, and the tourists knowing they have the arsenal to win this series.
And what does England do?
Celebrate like they have won the Ashes. If England is to win this series on home soil, they will need to pull their heads in, and very fast.
You would think that with just one Ashes triumph since 1989 that England would have approached the first test on red alert, DEFCON 1 and all other affiliated battle station analogies.
But they clearly walked into the first test at Cardiff thinking that an Australian team sans some of the greatest players of all time would be a fairly easy proposition for them.
After all, they had just defeated the calypso kings, the West Indies, by 10 wickets in the first test and by an innings and 83 runs in the second.
The same West Indian team that is barely seventh on the test rankings, and in complete disarray, now striking over collective pay issues.
The English also made the right noises, by and large, coming into the tests.
(Kevin Pietersen is making all the wrong noises, first saying that you need to divorce yourself from the occasion i.e. that an Ashes contest is the same as any other test match, and then remarking that his failed second innings performance only worried the media, it didn’t worry him).
England acknowledged that, despite the lack of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matt Hayden, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn among others (my god, what a collection of players!) that this was still Australia, we know what we are up against, and so forth.
They also said that focus, discipline and intensity would win this series.
They didn’t back any of this up.
There were some grave underestimations on the part of the English as well.
They forgot that Australian cricketers have long memories, and the pain of the 2005 Ashes loss, while somewhat forgotten with the 2007 whitewash, would only be erased with a statement made back on the hallowed grounds of England.
England forgot that there was still some very good players in this Australian team, thinking that with Australia’s only 300 wicket taker (they used to have two 500 plus bowlers) Brett Lee out as well, that it would be a pretty simple task.
After all, the entire Australian bowling attack had barely 40 tests between them, with over half of them belonging to Mitchell Johnson.
They forgot that Captain Ricky Ponting, for all the criticisms levelled at him about his captaincy, is still one of the finest batsmen in the game, and history will remember him as one of the greats with a blade. Equally, while he is not recognised by many as the captain that Allan Border or Steve Waugh was, he still has the same sheer bloody mindedness evident in his predecessors.
And, while it is not the swaggering front five; all with 50+ test averages batting line up that haunted the world’s bowlers for years, it is still a competent test line.
While Michael Hussey continues to be out of form (it is almost mocking to call him Mr Cricket now) the talents of vice captain Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, and Marcus North will now surely be noted by England.
But most importantly, this was an Australian side that has had to scrap their way through toughest cricketing theatres in the last 12 months.
You could not ask for a more uncompromising preparation than India in the subcontinent, South Africa beating you on the previously unbeatable Australian soil, and having a return series against the same team.
England showed a borderline arrogance throughout this match.
No batsmen knuckled down and dominated the novice tourist attack. For every batsman to reach double figures is one thing. But for seven players to reach 30 and three to pass 50, and not score a hundred in an Ashes test match is a cardinal sin.
It was the same with their bowling.
To not use Freddie Flintoff as an opening strike weapon, when he is your best bowler, is a terrible transgression. It is like Hitler asking his military to keep all the U-boats, Panzers and Messerschmitt’s locked away just in case.
Their attack was in stark contrast to Australia, as players who had never played in an Ashes contest bowled with the determination and spirit that wins test contests. If Johnson can find the form of a few months ago, it will be a fearsome attack if and when Lee returns.
The most telling signal as to England’s mindset was at the end of the match.
An admittedly weaker Australia, after dominating for close to four out of five days, could not quite kill the English off, but came very close. A test match draw, and we now head to the second test with the series at 0-0, and the tourists knowing they have the arsenal to win this series.
And what does England do?
Celebrate like they have won the Ashes. If England is to win this series on home soil, they will need to pull their heads in, and very fast.
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