Formula One: How Michael Schumacher Wiped Out a Generation of Young Drivers

Every era has its own set of drivers.

In the 1950s, it was Fangio, Moss, Ascari, and Hawthorn. Fangio took the majority of titles, but Moss was always up there winning races. Ascari interrupted Fangio's streak of titles, and Hawthorn became the first British Formula One World Champion in 1958.

During the 1960s, it was to be Clark, Hill, Brabham and McLaren who would stand out as the top drivers of the decade. Clark took the driver's title two times, and some consider him the greatest driver ever. Before his fatal accident at the Hockenheimring, he had won more races than any driver (25) and had qualified on pole position 33 times.

Taking the torch into the next decade of F1 Racing, Stewart, Fittipaldi, Hunt, Peterson, and Lauda would shine in the 1970s. Niki Lauda: one of the greatest. The Austrian world champion almost left us at the German Grand Prix in 1976 when his car burst into flames. Lauda was trapped inside and suffered severe burns.

In the 1980's (and early 1990's), it was Piquet, Prost, Senna, and Mansell. We were blessed to see two of the greatest battle it out throughout the decade. The 1988 season was dominated by the 'Dream Team' of McLaren. Senna took the title, ahead of teammate Prost, yet the team won 15 of a possible 16 races, an incredible feat.

Going into the 1990's. I believe this was meant to be the era Schumacher belonged to, along with Hill and Hakkinen. Hill and Schumacher had many notable battles, one of them being at Monza in 1995. Both retired but neither took any blame for the accident that caused it.

A new millennium. Many rising stars for the future. Montoya, Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher, Button, Trulli, the list goes on and on. All these drivers should have been competing for World Championships.

Raikkonen tried and failed. Montoya just couldn't keep up with the Ferrari's. Button was the right man in the right place at the wrong time along with Trulli. R. Schumacher had the car. All should have won more Grand Prix's than they actually did. Why didn't they?

Michael Schumacher. The domination or whitewash of the first half of the decade meant that no other drivers could really have a decent shot at the championship. Of his 91 wins in Formula One, 48 of them came during his world championship years at Ferrari (2000-2004). Compare this to the six of Montoya and R.Schumacher, the two scored by Kimi and Trulli’s single victory.

I’m not saying that Michael won unfairly, and I’m not saying that what he did wasn’t remarkable and outstanding. I’m saying that he almost destroyed the sport.

It was boring; races became predictable. Television ratings went down, and the later rounds of the championship weren’t worth watching.

2005: A glimmer of hope. Fernando Alonso and Renault finally put a halt to the Ferrari train. Raikkonen and Alonso battled it out for the World Championship and Schumacher had only one victory...and that was in a race with only six cars competing.

Schumacher stepped down in 2006 when Alonso took the title again. Raikkonen succeeded in 2007. So you may think I’m wrong about this ‘Lost Generation.’

Hamilton, Kubica, Kovalainen, Rosberg and Vettel. The drivers of the new generation, with Hamilton at its head will win championships over the course of the next 10 years and hopefully the title will swap hands many a time.

Fernando, Kimi, Jenson and Jarno. Sorry, but your short time at the top of this sport is almost up. You didn’t have proper chance to shine; Michael ruined it for you. You were children of the Lost Generation.