Michael Schumacher says Red Bull’s financial strength affected title chances – Formula 1 news
German seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has said that he believes Red Bull Racing’s strong financial backing was the main reason why Mercedes and he were unable to challenge for titles during his three-year stint.
Schumacher came out of retirement for the 2010 Formula 1 season with Mercedes factory team. However, in his three years with the team, he could only muster a single podium finish and a pole position, both of which came in the 2012 season. Other than this, the team looked way off the pace, especially compared to Red Bull Racing and their three back-to-back championships.
The German is of the opinion that the main reason why he and his team were unable to fight for victories at the front of the grid was Red Bull Racing’s financial backing. He thinks it was the sheer money factor which enabled the Milton-Keynes based squad to put a lot in developing their car and fight for race victories. This feeling leaves Schumacher with a bit of a déjà vu since he and his Ferrari team of early 2000s had the same kind of financial backing available and they developed a car which was miles ahead of everyone else.
“It's a factor,” Schumacher is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. “Over the years Red Bull built an infrastructure and has a budget giving them the possibility to respond to anything in the best possible way. It is nothing more or less than what we had at Ferrari.”
Schumacher announced his second retirement from the sport in 2012 after the arrival of Lewis Hamilton at the team to partner Nico Rosberg was made public. Hamilton, who is a former McLaren driver, managed to win the Formula 1 drivers’ championship in 2008 and Mercedes will be dearly hoping for the Brit to bring a change of fortunes for the Brackley-based squad.
The 2013 Formula 1 season gets underway with the first pre-season test scheduled to be held in the first week of February. The teams will then give their new cars two further shakedowns before the season’s first race in Australia takes place in March.
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