Schumi blames Villeneuve for the booing

[BBKing]

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER sees his long-term rivalry with Jacques Villeneuve as the major cause for the boos, jeers and whistles that greeted him at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve during Saturday's qualifying and before Sunday's race on the drivers' parade.

Most observers believed that the noisy reaction resulted from the infamous last-corner position switch in the Austrian Grand Prix when Schumacher was handed victory by team-mate Rubens Barrichello in the final 100 yards of the race.

But the world champion disagrees. He believes there is more to it than that.

Their reaction, he told pressmen at Sundays' post-race press conference, was more likely to have been caused by the well-known dislike the home favourite Jacques Villeneuve and he are supposed to have for each other.

"I think certain supporters make a sport out of it. When you look at it from our point of view there's a competition between our supporters and our enemies. It's always been like this.

"And I've noticed it [the rivalry] has always been a little bit more in Montreal - and I guess there's a good reason for it.

"My past competitor, being Canadian, is obviously not my best friend, and the Canadians do sort of know that, I guess," he explained.

After the Austrian Grand Prix Villeneuve's condemnation of Schumacher was fierce. Jacques told Schumi that if he's going to accept the points and the team orders, he ought to be a man and take the criticism too, not push Rubens onto the top step of the podium.

Schumacher has allegedly told Ferrari bosses that he would not accept Villeneuve as a future team-mate, though the feeling is entirely mutual.

Creative thinking?

....LOL

[Mr V]

after saying something like this, i reckon the Canadian fans will boo and jeer him even more next year!

[paulzinho]

Thats two races in a row and the fans weren't exactly receptive to Michael on the podium were they?

Hope the FIA are taking note, wonder if it'll continue in Germany? Apparantly Michael isn't the most popular sportsman over there.

[Inigo Montoya]

Yes, TGF is losing more and more supporters by the day

[Sato san]

he isnt the most popular sports person over here either

[botsquad]

who he'll blame when he gets to indy?

a. george bush
b. jeff gordon
c. chelsie clinton

[BBKing]

That is if he bothers to go to Indy. By then the title should be his anyway.

[Mania]

He got a lot of boos on the podium. But the tifosi did make up for it a lot. I wasnt there on friday so I dont know what happened back then - but sunday was 60/40 in favor of the anti-schumachers.

[Jordi]

Oh, poor TGF, they are booing him...

didn't Damon Hill receive death threats at Germany in 1995?

[freud]

"My past competitor, being Canadian, is obviously not my best friend, and the Canadians do sort of know that, I guess"

What more can I say except that I am shocked by this comment. I posted in a previous thread that 'Michael needs psychiatric counselling'.. after this my belief has gone stronger. Sorry if that offends anyone, but this statement is an insult to his Canadian fans. Its just like saying "Oh so what if I was booed at Canada.. after all they are JV supporters".. What ? This is BS. If I were a canadian and a MS supporter I would by kicking my butt for supporting him all those years. Notice the word 'Canadians'... its like Michael is refering to a nation. Tch tch... I am shocked how can he make such a stupid statement. Its pointless and stupid on his part to keep defending the Austrian GP fiasco and spin the issue. Why cant he once say that "Yeah we were wrong and fans didnt like what happened there".

[BBKing]

Wait for Silverstone. He will say that it is Damon's fault. You can only laugh at what this guy has to say....LOL

[freud]

Here are MS excuses for rest of the year:

HOCKENHEIM AND NURBURGRING:
1. Mercedes and BMW are my competitors so obviously the Germans dont like me.

SILVERSTONE:
1. Hill & I dont get along well so obviously the English dont like me.
2. DC & I dont get along well so obviously the Scots dont like me.
3. Eddie was kicked out of Ferrari so obviously the Irish dont like me.

SUZUKA:
1. JV drives for Honda so obviously the Japanese dont like me.

FRANCE:
1. JV is french, so obviously French dont like me.

[Lee Janotta]

Adding to Freud's list...

INDY:
1. JV and Juan Pablo are as close as the Americans have to a driver, so of course they don't like me.

SPA
1. The Belgian fans are still bitter over being invaded during the World Wars, so they don't like me.

[freeze]

He doesn't get it and never will.

[f1manoz]

I must say, that is a pathetic comment by TGF. After the BS that was pulled in Austria, I can't blame anyone for wanting to boo him. Being booed is part of sport anyway, some people support you, some people don't. Just accept the booing as part of the deal of being at the front.

'Now go back to your transporter TGF and have a big cry on Todt's shoulders.'

[PoweredByHonda]

I being Canadian, am really offended by that comment. I was goin commend TGF on the drive in Canada where he was on the ragged edge to get a 24 seconda gap so he could pit and come out in 2nd. But those comments are just sick... TGF has no respect at all for anyone. Even the fans... he can shove that trophy up his ass.

[EERO]

We'll I saw that driver's parade...and Booed. And as I was about 40 feet from TGF, along with other Ten-tenthers, he has to have heard us chanting "Ostreiche! Ostreiche!" and seen us give him the thumbs down-Rubens did, he laughed and gave us a big wave.

This was my third consectutive race in Montreal, and Schumacher has ALWAYS gotten thunderous applause in the past.

Not this year though and it has NOTHING to with Jacques.

See the pick

[freud]

Thanks for the info, EERO. I am glad that you were there for the 'thumbs down'. Pity I couldnt make it to Montreal this year (a ticket was available on black for 1500 US but too much).... Anyway if I were there I would've done exactly as you plus probably showed him my bum also

[senna12]

Yes, a very interesting tidbit, EERO, thanks for sharing it.

Michael is either in denial, or is inhabiting a universe all his own.

Someday in the future, Rubens will write a book. I want the first copy!

[Valve Bounce]

Come to think of it, I don't think the Austrians were that fond of MSch either. I wonder what the fans will do when he gets to Monza - that will be the litmus test. Just as a point of interest, does anyone remember any other F1 driver being boo'ed in this manner and with such gusto before? I can't.

Valve[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bouncy.gif[/img]

Here is the full question and answer:

Q: This is the 150th victory for Ferrari, but at the same time, before the race, there was some booing and a Ferrari flag barred. Can you reflect on that?

MS:I think they just make a sport out of it. When you look at it from our point of view there's a competition between our supporters and our enemies. It's always been like this. You can't always have 100 percent supporters and honestly, when I see the people who do it and you give them a smile or a kiss, they actually start to laugh. They're just joking around, I don't think they are too serious. I think we have reacted in a proper way to tell our fans which are very important to us, that we will not do that again, for them. It is always a little bit more in Montreal - I guess there's a good reason for it, that obviously my past competitor, being Canadian, is obviously not my best friend, and the Canadians do sort of know that, I guess.

I don't it's as bad as some people make out. Obviously the media try and make stories from nothing.

[EERO]

At the hairpin in Montreal, the four stands make a stadium with perhaps 30,000 people in them.
As the Austin-Healeys of the Driver's parade swung into the Stadium, with TGF to the fore-there was A LOT of booing and it was LOUD!!!!

[Bibendum]

EERO provides empirical evidence to support the logical point I wanted to make (well, yeah, actually EERO makes the logical point too!), namely that MS's comment would *only* make sense if the Canadian fans had booed in the past; and they did not. The man is in denial. I'm not sure it's a psychiatric condition -- more like a functional adaptation...

On a related front, I see MS implies that Ferrari have promised their fans that they will not do it again. This contradicts both Todt's and Brawn's rather emphatic public statements that they will indeed "do it" again if the occasion should arise. I think Michael is still chasing favour the way he did on that infamous podium; he can't bear not to be liked, poor man, and he hasn't really got the personality to suit.

It's as well to remember, almost all these guys are pretty young, and they've spent their lives in fairly...odd circumstances. Emotional maturity and finely-tuned social judgement must be rather the exception than the rule, I'd guess.

[Neil C]

I think it is also very dismissive for MS to refer to Jacques as a "past competitor".

[Red]

Dismissive indeed.... but accurate...