FIVE STARS
Michael Schumacher´s worldchampionship party at the new Hockenheimring circuit
In World War II the US-American airmen had received one star per victory on their planes. Later in the seventies Goodyear´s famous boot with wings had been for the decoration of Niki Lauda´s red helmet in analogy to that - Silver for the pole position, but Gold for every victory. Now both Michael Schumacher´s helmet and his baseball cap have got five stars each: One for every worldchampionship won. In Hockenheim 2002 the Fangio family congratulated from Argentina, the Cologne based television station RTL presented a 150,000 Euros cheque to the UNESCO ambassador Schumacher for the V.I.P. soccer match held before, added by Schuey´s first ever Formula 3 car. After the German Grand Prix the world champion entered it´s cockpit again, started the engine, but was not a able to drive it because of the crowd standing in the paddock. Malte Bongers, Schumacher´s former team boss in Formula 3 from Berlin, was absolutely excited.
Pole position, start to finish victory and also the fastest lap in the race: Michael Schumacher celebrated the winning of his fifth title together with 140,000 fans at the German Grand Prix. After that no other party took place, the father of a family immidiately went home to Switzerland after a lot of interviews. "Slowly everyday life must return again," said Schumacher´s manager Willi Weber.
It had taken only about a half year to make a modern, but also demanding autodromo out of the Hockenheimring. Only the run out area behind the hairpin, where cars reach a speed of 330 km/h after leaving the world´s fastest turn called Parabolika, must be critized. That thing is pretty small, and for the case of a suspension or wing break or a brake failure the asphalt area needs an additional gravel trap. Responsible for the dimensions is the F.I.A., not Germany´s star architect Hermann Tilke, who also had constructed Sepang and the revised circuits of Zeltweg and the Nuerburgring. He was really nervous before the start of the race, but also proud of his master piece. Computer analysis had predicted a lap time of 1:21.360 minutes, but Michael Schumacher´s fastest lap of 1.16.462 was significantly faster. The new track has got more grip than expected and, in contrast to the old days, also the Motodrom section is driven faster by using greater wings. A width of 12 to 15 metres allows up to four cars driving side by side without touching each other, in the past the drivers reached 350 km/h on an only 9 metre wide track through the forests.
At the top Michael Schumacher really had to work hard to get his brother Ralf and the other Williams BMW driver Juan Pablo Montoya under control. On the race day Germany suddenly was in the height of the summer after pure rain in the whole July. The heat did not only effect the tyres, but also caused a lot of retirements by hydraulics and engine defects. Only nine cars received the chequered flag. After the race Ralf Schumacher was absolutely frustrated. First he was obstructed by Jacques Villeneuve creeping into the pits with a defect car when coming in for his second routine stop (only with re-fuelling but no tyre change), then the BMW engine´s pneumatic pressure sank so dramatically, that Ralf had to come in for a third halt for restoring it. That dropped him back third place behind his team mate Montoya. All top drivers were on a two-stop-strategy, the Williams BMWs and the McLaren Mercedeses used the harder Michelin tyre compound.
At Ferrari the T-Car is available exclusively for Rubens Barrichello until the end of the season. The aim is the fast winning also of the constructors´championship, and, if possible the second place in the drivers´table. But at the finish Barrichello was about 10 seconds behind the Williams BMW drivers. McLaren Mercedes lost Kimi Raikkonen by a defect caused accident, after the young Finn had suffered under a puncture making him drive on the nacked wheel for half a lap to return to the pits. David Coulthard came home fifth place at least, but one lap behind. At Cologne´s Toyota Allan McNish was confronted with a pretty good fire caused by a hydraulics failure, Finn Mika Salo finished nineth and last. Before that, Toyota´s co-sponsor pharmaceuticals group ratiopharm had dressed their famous twin couples from the television spots into racing overalls to bring a good show to the paddock. Switzerland´s Sauber Petronas brought both their cars home, Nick Heidfeld again scored a point. Double retirements happened at Jaguar Cosworth, BAR Honda, Renault and de facto at Minardi Asiatech: Webber suffered under a technical defect, Yoong once again had not qualified.
In Hockenheim McLaren Mercedes confirmed the contracts to be continued for their drivers Coulthard, Raikkonen and Wurz. A little later the Silver Arrows´fourth man, Mika Hakkinen declared his retirement from active competition officially. Via video the Finn got in touch with the public from his home country, really romantic in front of a lakeside log cabin, together with his wife Erja and his son Hugo. And if he wants to get really hard work again: In the new McLaren factory called Paragon, where also the new Mercedes-Benz sportscar for road use is produced, there surely will be another desk empty.
Michael Schumacher won Hockenheim the second time after 1995 in a Benetton Renault, his fans celebrated him until Monday morning with a lot of beer, but the same time very disciplined. So early no driver in history had ever secured his title. Schumacher only has to keep fit, then a sixth or even a seventh title will be realistic. 100 Grand Prix wins are mathematically far away, but at least no utopia anymore. Michael Schumacher is on the way to realize Ayrton Senna´s career visions. The Brazilian ever had been fascinated by the contrast of the silence in the forests and the crowds in the Motodrom. Where Jim Clark had died in 1968 (at the place of the former first chicane) and Patrick Depailler (in the Ostkurve) had been killed in 1980, within a short while only trees will be growing.
Klaus Ewald
© 2002 by researchracing
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