From: rps@morgana.mat.uc.pt (Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport.f1
Subject: The tifosi are not bitter
Date: 27 Oct 1997 11:19:21 -0000
Organization: Universidade de Coimbra
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From the comments of some people here, others might get the impression that
the tifosi are trying to find excuses for Schumacher, or are even blaming
Jacques. That is not true. Both me and Thomas were watching the race in
Rai Due (among other channels). So, some of the comments based on that:

I wrote:
Interestingly one of the commentators in the Rai studio said something
like "Schumacher's behaviour was inappropriate for a Ferrari driver."
Apparentely not all tifosi wanted a victory at all costs.

Thomas added:
That is true, I heard that all over the place here. They wanted him
desperatley to win but not that way. The dissapointment of the day is
now the person Schumacher, not that he lost it.

I also wrote:
The incident was analysed to death during the post-race commentary, and
the general opinion was that Schumacher turned to Jacques, not to the
apex (this is a direct translation from Giovanna Amati). But Eddie
Cheever seemed to disagree.

Later I asked:
BTW, I didn't quite understood when they said that the people watching in
a giant screen the race in Maranello had aplaudded. Were they applauding
Jacques victory ? Far from impossible considering Schumacher's ethics and
Gilles reputation, who is very far from forgotten.

And Thomas replied:
Yes, they applauded Jacques in Maranello. It seems that millions of
italian tifosis understands a little more of racing than the single one
from Scarsdale. Being a Villeneuve certainly helped, and one of my local
tifosis told me that Schumaker showed today, that he's german after all.
Well, but that's normal, after his next victory it's all forgotten and
they will cheer for him again. 

"T.Gergo" <tgergo@szupernet.com> added:
 Niki Lauda is permanent commentator of F1 on German RTL television. In his
immediate comments right after the race ended, he said that after their
second pit stops, Michael obviously slowed down, and that he must have been
surprised that Jacques attempted to pass him at the first possible moment.
Niki Lauda called Villeneuve's move "cold blooded", but approoved of it.
Anyone who saw the interview could easily tell that Lauda was very
dissapointed with Schumacher's deliberate attempt to knock his opponent out.

To which Thomas replied:
I just saw "Domenica sport" on Rai Tre.

In a nice contrast to Niki Laudas stupid comments on german RTL his
former teammate at Ferrari, Clay Regazzoni called it an "absurd
manoeuver from Schumacher". And unlike some of of the rasf1-comments
even Luca di Montezemolo called it Schumacher's error. He also mentioned
that he talked to Todt who told him the tyres where loosing grip. It's
obvious to me, that once Jacques would be ahead of Schumacher he'll
never ever had a chance to take the lead back. And I am sure, Schumi
knew that as well...

They also showed a replay from the Piazza Liberta in Maranello where
some thousands of true Tifosis watched the race on a big screen. After
the incindent was a close up of Schummel-Schumi taking off his helmet
and the whole Piazza booed him out. Well done, Tifosi, at least you
showed some character today!
-=-=- End quotes -=-=-

All of this was in the "Comments on the race" thread, but I think it
could use some more visibility.

-- 
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~rps/f1/	an ex-tifoso since 95/11/13

.pt is Portugal| `Whom the gods love die young'-Menander (342-292 BC)
        Europe |    Villeneuve 50-82, Toivonen 56-86, Senna 60-94