Ralf Schumacher has spinal fractures out for 3 months

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PeterF
Posts: 4144
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 10:00 pm

Ralf Schumacher has spinal fractures out for 3 months

Post by PeterF » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:40 pm

No wonder he complained his back hurt!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 852815.stm



Ralf Schumacher has spinal fractures out for 3 months

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Kimi
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:25 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Post by Kimi » Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:34 pm

This is awful! I'm not a huge fan of Ralf, nor of Williams, but I hate to see a good competitor hurt. I hate it even worse when it happens at my favorite race track.

The IMS has SAFEr barriers installed for the oval races there, but Ralf missed them in his crash. They are only installed in the corners, and I believe they are more geared towards counter-clockwise running at the track, not F1 style clockwise running.

What is even more shameful is how long it took the FIA safety crews to get to him. I was at the track during the race, and even though it was out of my view, we could hear the crowd getting more and more impatient at how long it was taking to reach him.

JasonS
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 12:00 am
Location: Espoo

Post by JasonS » Thu Jul 01, 2004 9:45 pm

What's your new car like Kimi? Is it a winner?
½Image½Image

Guest

Post by Guest » Thu Jul 01, 2004 11:23 pm

Seen the crash? He's lucky to be alive.
He'd be happy to even be able to attend to his birthday party!

Kimi
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:25 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Post by Kimi » Fri Jul 02, 2004 2:10 am

Unfortunately, I'm not the Kimi, but I like him. Hence the name. We'll see how it runs in France. Hopefully it won't blow up in the first ten minutes.

Yes, twas a nasty crash. Those walls can be rather unforgiving.

PeterF
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Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 10:00 pm

Post by PeterF » Fri Jul 02, 2004 8:45 am

Kimi wrote: We'll see how it runs in France. Hopefully it won't blow up in the first ten minutes.
Well here is the new car..unfortunately the same engine which has been the weak area.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 853591.stm

Reverting to the Williams situation...The latest info is that Ralf probably will not drive again this season and next season will join Toyota.

Jonathan Legard
BBC motor racing correspondent said yesterday.

"It is significant that their official test driver, Marc Gene has been confirmed only for this weekend's French Grand Prix.

It allows Williams leeway to look at such alternatives as second test driver, Antonio Pizzonia, Jacques Villeneuve, Anthony Davidson and Jaguar's Mark Webber who's set to sign for the team for next season

Being knocked out by the 170mph impact in Indianapolis was a sickening blow.

Now that doctors in Germany have diagnosed two spinal fractures, Schumacher will surely consider a comeback only when he is wholly convinced that his body and mind are ready.


The summer testing ban means he cannot return to the cockpit until 1 September at the earliest.

But the prospect of bouncing over the kerbs through Monza's three unforgiving chicanes is hardly attractive to a man recovering from fractured vertebrae.

That would rule out the Italian Grand Prix in mid-September, leaving only the final three inter-continental races in China, Japan and Brazil. "

So Williams need another driver...for the remainder of this season..
Guess who has been asked?
A guy who used to go to school not more than a 500 meters from my pub in Myyrmäki...apparently his sister still lives in the area ..(I did not know that! :? )..and she told her hairdresser some hot news..women apparently are very found of confiding with their hairdresser :roll:..who of course told everyone and their dog..(it was in the Ilta Lehti last night...)
"Mika would love to drive F1 again and Williams have asked him again only last week...but Erja says.. No way..and she is Boss!"

JasonS
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 12:00 am
Location: Espoo

Post by JasonS » Fri Jul 02, 2004 9:32 am

When it happened i wasn't too worried as it looked like he hit the wall backwards, which must be a whole lot safer than head on. But the longer it took to get him out the more worrying it became. I dread to imagine what state he would be in if the front of the car impacted first.

I would love to see Mika back but as above events show this is still a highly dangerous sport and he has already narrowly cheated death once before. He's got nothing left to prove anyway, he's got the trophies and everyone knows in an equal car he was more than a match for the shoemaker.

..btw Kimi are you english?(i'm guessing as you used the word 'twas') and did you go over there just for the race?
½Image½Image

Guest

Post by Guest » Fri Jul 02, 2004 10:24 am

PeterF wrote: So Williams need another driver...for the remainder of this season..
Guess who has been asked?
A guy who used to go to school not more than a 500 meters from my pub in Myyrmäki...apparently his sister still lives in the area ..(I did not know that! :? )..and she told her hairdresser some hot news..women apparently are very found of confiding with their hairdresser :roll:..who of course told everyone and their dog..(it was in the Ilta Lehti last night...)
"Mika would love to drive F1 again and Williams have asked him again only last week...but Erja says.. No way..and she is Boss!"

Maybe that's another opportunity for our Dutch Jos "Grindbak" Verstappen... :lol: :lol:

PeterF
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Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 10:00 pm

Post by PeterF » Fri Jul 02, 2004 10:30 am

Arno wrote:
Maybe that's another opportunity for our Dutch Jos "Grindbak" Verstappen... :lol: :lol:
What does it say here...?
http://www.verstappen.nl/

Guest

Post by Guest » Fri Jul 02, 2004 10:40 am

Figures... :lol: :lol: :lol:
The middle name "Grindbak" didn't get there for no reason.
Heeeheee

Kimi
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 5:25 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Post by Kimi » Tue Jul 06, 2004 5:59 pm

JasonS, no, I'm American. In fact I live in Indianapolis, so I've been to every USGP here.

I've been hoping that David Coulthard will move to Williams next year. I've always had a soft spot for him. But it does look bad when Mika can win and Kimi can almost win while DC himself is an annual also-ran.

I would love to see Mika back, but I rather doubt that he would take it. He's very popular here. His last win was at Indianapolis.

PeterF
Posts: 4144
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 10:00 pm

Post by PeterF » Wed Jul 07, 2004 9:51 am

Kimi wrote:
I would love to see Mika back, but I rather doubt that he would take it. He's very popular here. .
Mika is very much the local boy where I live..he lived and went to school actualy within walking distance of my home and really within spitting distance from Sara's house (about 50 meters..not sure that she knows that :roll: look at the map Sara!)..Believe it or not Mika Salo also lived as a child in the same street. So the locals are all big fans of the local boys made good.
The pubs are full of stories about how they "knew him" when he worked in the local cafe as dish washer as a 16 year old, while trying to earn enough money to finance running his Go Cart. (Allun Grilli were his first sponsers). How he promised to come back one day and buy them all a beer when he was F1 champion.
He apparently he did so just recently..I know one guy who really went to school with him and he was part of a very small select band of "old mates" who met Mika and went for a drive around Martinlaakso.
http://www.martinlaakso.info/mika-mika-map.jpg
They then sat in a local pub and he bought that promised beer (Or two :wink: ) and the main topic of conversation was along the lines of.."What If..? ..If I had not been such a wooden head at school I would not have worked in the Allun Grilli and would not have driven those Go Carts, I would probably of studied as an engineer, and I would probably be working for Nokia."

PeterF
Posts: 4144
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 10:00 pm

Post by PeterF » Wed Jul 07, 2004 1:51 pm

So it is confirmed Ralf will not drive again for Williams..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 864601.stm
Toyota need one more driver and Williams two as Montoya is alredy on route to partner Kimi..which way will David C go?


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