michael did deserve to win.

[DancingMachine]

before pitstop2 he was dominating the entire race...driving to the limit. after his feul problem as they say, he had to slow down n let mika take the race. well down michael.. n i do feel sorry for mika. he had to take a ride home from DC.

[Piquet]

To be honest Michael did not appear to be on the limit for most of the race - it looked fairly comfortable for him up to the point when he had the problem.

[ozywoodwards]

Why did he deserve to win?

He was in the best car, and simply drove at an average pace, probably similar in terms of getting the potential out of his car as Mika. Then he simply gave up with a bad set of tyres, and was lucky that Mika broke down.

[Minardi fan]

I'm with Piquet - TGF was not pushing in that race, and Mika deserved to win.

[EERO]

Hakkinen drove a brilliant series of laps prior to his second pit stop. He came out 3 seconds ahead of TGF. Given how difficult it was for cars to pas today, Schumacher would have had a hard time closing the gap and passing Mika. Schumacher was gifted that win. He drove a brilliant race, but he wasn't in the best car-it happened to be just barely good enough.

[senna12]

Mika earned the lead in the sprint before his second stop, and thus should have won, Michael would have found it very difficult to get by.
Well done to JPM and Jacques.

[Tristan]

Oh, come on, be fair. Whilst it WAS gutting to see Mika fail like that, until TGF's "tyre problems" (what the HELL??) TGF was away and clear.

[DancingMachine]

I dont think mika did any special to come out of the pits 3 sec ahead of Ms. if u see the times MS had already slowed down after he came out of the pits. he was doing 1min 23 sec + . if he didnt have the problem, he would come out ahead of MIKA. Mika in 2 laps took his lead from 22 sec to nearly 27 sec. thats 5 seconds in 2 laps. and he did that without putting the fastest lap. so it was ms slowing n not Mika attacking..

for those who say he was cruising...
he put about 6-7 times a fastest lap.
nobody can cruise ahead of mika in spain. if he was cruising why didnt mika overtake him...he also make a all time ap record...thats not cruising....

[Mania]

Well Mika did a couple of flyers before his 2nd stop whereas Michael got held up a bit in traffic behind Montoya and Trulli. Still, Mika got out of the pits first and thats really what counts.

Schumy drove a good race but Mika's was just better. Hr deserved to win, but since he could`nt, Michael was the next best runner. Everyone else was totally of the pace. Ralf was 16 seconds behind the leader when he retired, Barrichelo was over 25 seconds or so behind Michael, and Montoya and Villuneuve plus the other runners had all been lapped by Mika and Michael did the drama of the last 5 laps..

[Damon]

And once again the Schumacher worshippers come out in force. Schumacher didn't push in that race and despite having an inferior car Hakkinen was able to stay just close enough. I think we should give credit where it's due.

BTW any of you anti-Montoya folks out there notice his sterling drive to second following Ralfs clear driver error?

[Kenny W.]

Sorry,
but it was Mika's race until the failure. Even TGF said MH should have won because of the faster "in laps" to the second pit stop.

[Billy_Hunt]

TGF deserved to win

That is so funny !

[Bononi]

Precisely Kenny ! nothing to add.

[Tristan]

Oh, by the way, if you read my earilier post, i never said Mika didn't DESERVE the win. After all, it was the Ferrari that was touring in for 2nd.

[Sauber_16]

Now then DancingMachine...

I see where you're going with your comment about MS (sorry, I just can't call him TGF!!) and being a great supporter of the Flamin' Gallar, I have to say I am pleased he won, but in honesty...did he? I think Mika lost. Michael did pull out some excellent lap times, but Mika really lost this one in a big way and I think his reaction to it, though in the spotlight, was just incredible and he will no doubt earn more credit and respect for this.

It's good to see Michael hugging him and actually running away from the podium to talk with him briefly, without the bitterness of last year with accusing comments being directed at Schumacher by the little JV and DC.

As for Ron Dennis...my resentment towards him can only soar even more! I think his unjustified comments with regards Brain Fade was just ridiculous and I guess I am wondering if DC will ever get his break there amongst the "big ones" at McLaren as long as Mika is there. Unfortunately Mika seems to be the only one offering support to him. You see if I worked at McLaren....I'd be sitting just in DCs garage and congratulating him all the way! But I am not..I am sitting in another garage......oops! I have said too much!

Ha, ha! Urm what else? Yay for Nick with another point though I know...his attempt to hold back DC wasn't that great and if Mika hadn't retired....yawn! He is still an amazing driver as is Alonso proving to be. I'd put my Pesetas on him being future champion (after Nick, gracias).

See ya,

Sauber_16

[jarama]

Today, the combination deserving REALLY the win was the MH/McMercedes pair.

[Gt_R]

I knew fully that such things would come out of this forum...that people would just discredit whatever Michael does...and now...you take after the line that echos what arrogant ron said "Ferrari dint win...we lost"

Discard your favoritism for now. From a very very fair point of view, look at Spain 2001.

Qualifys:
Michael ran 2 flying laps, with his slowest lap faster than Mika's quickest of 4 attempts...Mika did his best in Quals...Michael did one better, with less effort.
Michael vs Mika : 10 vs 8

Race:
1st set:
Michael made a good start, hold off Mika to go into first corner. Put in a series of fastest laps. Mika managed to maintain, and the gap is level at 1.5s to 2s, before Michael pulls slightly to a 2.5s before making first pit. Michael ran at a pace of high 1:21 to low 1:22s consistently.
Michael vs Mika : 10 vs 9

2nd set:
Michael came out of the pits...fresh, not runned-in, tires but with a far heavier car. While Mika still tooling around with worn tires and a light car. A fastest lap of 1:21.6 by Mika the very lap Michael is in pit. Mika had few traffic. We expect Mika put in flying laps to open the gap, ala MS in Japan last year. But alas...amazingly and impressively, Michael just went a notch better to better Mika's fastest lap record by 0.5s, closing the gap by one second in the process, out of all expectations. MS kept the pace up. Mika pits...a slightly longer stop, comes out 3s behind MS... During this 2nd stint, Michael opened the gap even further to more than 4s, till his pit stop.
Michael vs Mika : 10 vs 8

3rd set:
Michael came out of pits. Mika initially caught up in traffic behind a BAR and Arrows. Cleared them cleanly. Mika puts in a series of consistant lap times around the 1:22s. Michael caught up by traffic, and just before Mika made his pit, started to develope problems...which cost about 0.5s a lap...lasted for 2 laps before Mika came in and out. Mika came out in front. Immediately, he managed to open the gap consistently at 1s per lap...Michael plays safe...aware of problems...gap opens at a rate of 3s/lap..increase to 4s/lap. Even if Michael goes flat, the problems is likely to cost him 2s per lap, plus the risk of retirement. Gap opens, but Mika still running in the 1:22s. Ferrari lost it at this stage of the time...as back markers overtake Michael at an alarming rate--Problem with Ferrari is serious. Mika driving at a consitent rate to lead the race...but retired in the last lap..desite efforts to keep going.tough luck. Michael takes win despite his problems...
Michael vs Mika : 10 vs 10.

Car and driver combination:
Michael-Ferrari vs Mika-Mclaren 9 vs 9

You could argue that Mika would have won the race had he not hit problems...but this is a race...anything happens right? and the same reasoning could be applied to Michael. He had ran (slightly) faster than Mika in both qualifyings and race UNTIL his car developed a problem. Yes, if Mika wins, it is well deserved. But should michael win, as should be the case today, it is equally well deserved. Afterall, the performance of the two are very very very close this weekend! So the 2 are equally deserving of a victory here...but unfortunately, FIA only gives one victory trophy...

It would be best to say that, Michael had a bad race at Spain...and Mika's was worse...Michael had tough luck...Mika had terrible luck.

But one note: If you think that Michael is totally undeserving of the victory today...i bet you just turn on the TV after Michael made his 2nd pits...
Its really sad to just dispose of all Michael's success. Be fair to him, as much as you wish others to be fair to your driver of choice.
Both of them are equally excellent here today, being almost 1 lap quicker than the first non-mclaren-ferrari car...and both came of equally as winners in theory.

[neutral]

The fair outcome would have seen both Michael and Mika having no problems and slugging it out to the finish. By the way, didnt Mclaren put up a pit sign saying "easy" with 3 laps to go. Did they know of a potential problem at this time? With a 30 sec lead over Michael, would it not have been wiser to do the last couple of laps off pace, rather than in the 1:22's? I suppose it probably would have made no difference.

P.S Bad luck Mika. You deserved a win. But then again, so did Michael.

P.S.S Tristan, trying to convince this panel that Michael would have won the race, despite being entirely logical, is futile. You should know the ten tenths motto by now- "Whenever there is a chance to put down Michael, no matter how crazy the argument is, just do it!" In the next few days, you will hear stories on how Michael caused the tyre problem!, how the FIA scripted the win (wait a sec, I think I see that already!), and so on. I too tried to bring some logic into this forum, but as they say " you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make it drink". Dont take this forum too seriously Tristan, I use it for a laugh. Perhaps you should too.

[Gt_R]

Hey Neutral...

with this particular post of yours...i am really glad that at least one person is very fair with his comments...although i am sure there are more...

And indeed...Mclaren is aware of the problems long before it actually happened. You could actually see a shot of Adrian rushing back to the pits towards the end with a troubled look...And the "Easy" sign...really Mika can drive fast, but i believe that with 1 lap ahead of the 3rd place man, and with the 2nd placed Schumacher 30s behind, with a carload of problems, Mika should have really backed off towards the end by around 3s...Afterall, he expired halfway during the last lap...backing off slightly will surely see him to the finish...with at least 5 to 10s to spare...if he choose to coast 5s slower...

He caused his own loss...unfortunately...

[Bononi]

Oh Neutral, don't waste time guessing how it was scripted.

It's all there, take a look :

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php&threadid=9307

Any addition will be welcome !

[Faster]

Though Mika should have won this one, Michael did and I see no point on putting him down because of this. Great racers in the past also got "gifted" wins, as did Prost in Monaco 88, Piquet in Canada 91 and Senna in Monaco 92.

Regarding Dennis's comments, I must say that he schocks me everytime, being a bigger ******** than I ever thought someone could possibly be. David drove a superb race after his problem at warm up lap, and deserved the biggest of the congratulations, not the stupidiest of the criticism...

[neutral]

Bonini I am suprised! It usually takes about a day for the anti schumi propaganda to start. I suppose the anti shumi's are really pi$$ed!!!!

[Peter Mallett]

Whilst not being totally convinced that Mickey had a tyre problem, (I think it was a suspension problem) I was sorry that, having got in front, Mika didn't get his first win for, how many races? Both drivers deserved the win but sadly there's only one. Today it was Mickey-the shoe.

So why all the apparent animosity? We've just seen some racing.

[downforce]

Neutral!!
GT_R!!
Tristan!!

Dyu people get STAR sports coverage??

Commentator Chris Goodwin (Mclaren 2seater+test driver) abt 25 seconds before Mika pops off goes- "...the thing about being a great driver is really...understanding the 'feel' of your car and responding to the situation like what Michael is doing right now, one should be able to drive a racing machine both fast and slow to the chequered flag, Michael's nursing his racer all the way to the flag..."!!!!!

He mus be kicking himself for that!!

DC always says what goes round mus come round...so Michael, u deserve evry point in todays victory...psst, Monaco'00...he he hee...

[McLaren-15]

I have to say that I believe Mika definately deserved to win that race. Although I am not a Michael fan I realise that he did do some good lap times, but after the second pit stops Mika began to pull away and even if Michael hadn't had a problem I don't think he would have won.

I agree with Sauber_16 on the way Mika was after the race. I think that he should be respected on the way he behaves when he does not win as to stop just before the finish must be quite hard to deal with.

DC drove a really good race after starting in 22nd and I think he did well to finish in the points at all and he definately deserved congratulations.