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Seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher has
dismounted from his Prancing Horse and saddled up on a Honda. But
his former Ferrari teammate, Rubens Barrichello—who has since
joined the Honda F1 team but has yet to show results—has nothing
to worry about because Schumacher is piloting a Honda Fireblade
1000cc superbike and not an F1 car.
Proving he is as quick on two wheels as he is on
four, Schumacher on March 21 clinched the last podium spot on his
motorcycle racing debut in the Skoox Cup held at the 4.5-kilometer
Pannonia Ring circuit in Hungary. Besides being his debut bike race,
what makes Schumacher’s podium finish more impressive is that he
finished behind Andreas Meklau and race winner Martin Bauer.
Bauer is the 2007 German Superbike Championship
winner.
Schumacher clocked a fastest lap time in the
race of 2 minutes and 1.309 seconds, less than one-and-a-half
seconds slower than his 2 minutes-flat qualifying time. Also, he
bested all 27 competitors in the amateur class despite starting from
the back of the field.
Racing in Superstock-rules championship,
Schumacher rode a bike usually campaigned by Martin Farmer in the
German championship. Reports said the F1 ace was aggressive on track
right from the start, earning for himself the podium finish in a
fierce race.
The ride in the Skoox Cup came as a result of
Schumacher having impressed 2007 MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner
in November last year. In the race, Schumacher received coaching
from former 500cc GP rider Randy Mamola.
His team boss, Mike Wohner, said that it was
impossible to talk to the F1 champ prior to the race because
Schumacher “was so nervous.”
“I noticed that Schumi was extremely focused
before the race. His tactics were pretty simple; he was going to
ride the race completely on full attack,” Wohner said.
Schumacher’s longtime Ferrari boss Jean Todt
expressed dismay at his ward’s latest caper. At the Malaysia GP
held on March 23, Todt was quoted by Swiss publication Motorsport
Aktuell as saying “It’s Michael’s life so he makes his own
decisions.
“But do I agree? Absolutely not,” Todt said.
“Some things I like, some things I do not. This one, I do not.”
But Todt was also quick to point out that “if
it was not in Michael’s nature to take risks, then he would not
have had the kind of career he has had.”
For his part, Schmacher said he prefers being on
four wheels to two. “I only did it for fun,” he said after the
race. “I prefer driving.”
-- Brian Afuang with reports from AFP
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