Ferrari: Schumacher irreplaceable
Michael Schumacher will be an irreplaceable part of Ferrari's history despite what Kimi Raikkonen may achieve in the future, says Ferrari's vice president Piero Ferrari
The seven-time world champion retired at the end of the 2006 season after enjoying Ferrari's most successful period, and he will be replaced by Finn Raikkonen.
Ferrari believes Raikkonen will succeed with the Italian squad, but says Schumacher will not be replaced.
"Schumacher will remain irreplaceable in our history," Ferrari told Gazzetta dello Sport. "A great driver, a great man. Raikkonen is different but he is as fast. He's most of all hungry of the victories he lacks.
"I remember when we hired Jody Scheckter, a great driver who hadn't won almost anything before coming to Ferrari.
"With us he won the title at the first attempt. Let's hope Kimi does the same: I like him very much, he has great qualities. Now we'll understand if he is a great driver or an exceptional one.
"As for [Felipe] Massa, in the latter part of 2006 it was nice to watch him. He's a great professional, he'll yet improve."
The Italian also reckons the new F2007 car, unveiled yesterday at Fiorano, will be very competitive.
"I want to be optimistic: I think the F2007 can win a lot," added Ferrari. "It's also true that things are more confusing now, with Alonso at McLaren starting a series of changes. It will be an interesting championship."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Alex Zanardi open to Daytona 24 Hours or Indianapolis 500 bid
Giacomo Agostini says Rossi and Lorenzo will renew hostilities
Working Men: Interview with Ferrari's Test Drivers
The 10 best Formula 1 drivers ever: Hamilton, Schumacher & more
Schumacher F1 watch collection could top $4 million in auction
The contrasting fortunes of F1's big-name moves to Ferrari
Ferrari "made too many mistakes" for podium fight at F1 Chinese GP
Ferrari announces Miami F1 livery change to mark US anniversary
What's been going wrong for Leclerc in F1's tiny margins qualifying game
Erik Jones sidelined with compression fracture after Talladega crash
Alpine confident for 'good news' in Habsburg injury recovery
Ferrari "made too many mistakes" for podium fight at F1 Chinese GP
What is a wildcard in MotoGP and why is it used?
Did F1's new sprint format work?
Chinese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2024
Why Verstappen's China F1 win was a sideshow to the real battle
How the pursuit of marginal F1 gains caused Sauber's pitstop stumbles
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments