Chapter 216: Season-End Madness (3)
There is no doubt that 2004 was a year for Michael who achieved an amazing result that has never been seen before or since. But when all the glorious legends were calm, the rest of the people who could only look up to Schumacher during the year were not willing to be completely conquered. Now, after losing the suspense of the championship, the turnover between the teams has gradually begun to become agitated. And now the Williams team from the UK is undoubtedly the focus of these rumors! At the same time, two transfer rumours have been linked to Sir Frank's team.
Frank. Williams is undoubtedly a representative of these people. By the time the frenzy of the red sea in Belgium had not yet gone away, he had already launched a powerful challenge to the existing F1 power structure in his own way. Just when it was expected that Williams' team would continue to sink after losing Montoya, one of the most passionate drivers, he took aim at his compatriot Barton, one of the hottest young drivers of the moment.
Perhaps when we first heard the news, most of us thought it was just fake news hyped up by some good media. Because almost everyone who follows Barton knows that his contract with the Anglo-American team still has one year to go away. But it wasn't until we heard Barton's own testimonials about the contract rumors and his desire to play alongside Williams again next season that everyone was surprised to find out that Michael was the first to be alongside the Williams team. The scene where Schumacher forcibly made the jump from Jordan to Benetton may be about to happen again!
But. From the angry Anglo-American team owner David . Judging by the tone of Richards' vow to appeal to the media, the Anglo-American team will never give up on this matter! After all, they were the ones who signed the deal with Barton earlier! And unlike the old FIA, there is a contract certification committee dedicated to contract disputes between teams and drivers. And if this committee rules that the secret agreement between Barton and the Williams team is invalid. Then Sir Frank's dream may be in vain!
In other words, if this committee had existed at the time of the contract dispute between Jordan and Schumacher, perhaps Mr. Che Wang's pace of winning the world championship would have slowed down a lot. In short, this matter is far from as simple as it seems. The end result is likely to be that Barton will have to stay with the Anglo-American team honestly. Even so, the British driver's lack of calm on the matter put him in an unusually passive situation in the team, because no one would want their team-mate to be a guy who likes to fight back. And the elder Williams may have to be prepared to lose the case if the British driver does not come as he wished. Then he had to seize the last time to get the contract between Ye Feng and Schumacher Jr. Until now, neither driver has signed a new contract with the team
However, just as it is very difficult to win the lawsuit with the British and American teams, the elder Williams also has great difficulties in getting the contracts of Ye Feng and Schumacher Jr. First of all, the German driver is reported to be tired of the boss's back-and-forth in contract negotiations, and the Barton incident has undoubtedly made Schumacher Jr., who hopes that Montoya's departure can bring a turnaround in his situation in the team, and it can be seen that the old Williams does not want to hand over the responsibility of the number one driver to the German who is still recuperating no matter what. Therefore, under such a tone, it is doubtful that Schumacher Jr. will 'endure humiliation' to stay in the team. After all, it's not like he doesn't have no other choice now, because the check from the Toyota team has been waving at him for a long time, which is not a secret in today's advanced information.
Now let's talk about the third protagonist in this turmoil. He is Ye Feng, who replaced Schumacher Jr. and performed well. The Chinese driver is actually the easiest to be entangled in the transfer turmoil of this time, and that is only because of the car king Michael. Schumacher's words of earnestness to recruit him into the team. In this regard, Mr. Che Wang did not hide his love for this Chinese racing genius with a tough driving style and tenacious racing style to the outside world, and he did not hide his words and deeds about Ye Feng's previous solicitation. However, the king of the car emphasized. He took the initiative to mention all this to Ye Feng, and Schumacher knew that Ye Feng was a very nostalgic person, although he wanted him to come to Ferrari, but he didn't want to put too much pressure on Ye Feng
However, even as the king said, this naked poaching behavior suddenly stirred up a thousand waves among Williams fans in the UK and Europe. What's more, the controversy caused by Ye Feng's transfer rumors is even more intense than Barton's! According to current media reports, a large number of fans of the British Williams team have gathered around Ye Feng's residence for three consecutive days to express their dissatisfaction and protest to the Chinese driver, and more fans have asked Ye Feng to stay in the Williams team that trained him! Otherwise, you'll have to talk to him about it. At the same time, the Williams team is also required to renew Ye Feng's contract as soon as possible. Otherwise, threaten to refuse to look at it
team for any competition.
For Ye Feng, a driver who cannot be compared with Barton in terms of record or fame, it is simply incomprehensible for us that such a thing happened at first. And it's understandable for a driver to talk about his future when his contract is about to expire, and even more so if it's an invitation from Schumacher, what young man can refuse such an temptation?
However, when you think about it on a deeper level, it is not difficult to understand that this happened to the Williams team. This team used to be so glorious, so unbeatable! This kind of brilliance even made Senna, the once racing god in our hearts, tempted by it, and turned to Williams at all costs!
However, it seems that it was from that time that successive bad luck began to entangle with this traditional giant team. The decisive and tragic fate of Senna at the Imola circuit was the result of the subsequent 96 and 97 years with the short-lived glory of +|Wen, but it is since then that the team has not won any annual championship title! It is also a fact that the team's competitiveness continued to decline in the following years.
It can be said that fans who love this blue team from the UK have been extremely complicated and gloomy for so many years. They were very nostalgic for the glory of the past, but they also regretted that Senna did not even have time for them to be happy and accomplished. And the years of inaction that followed hurt the hearts of every Williams fan. Last year, the team unfortunately lost the Constructors' Championship to Ferrari, and when it was thought that this year's performance might sweep away the gloom of recent years, the team's performance was so bad at the start of the season, and Montoya, whom they once loved so much, decided to leave them
Therefore, when it was rumored that Ye Feng, who once made all Williams fans see the hope of revitalizing the team, was co-opted by Ferrari and the car king, these fans who were tormented by the disappointment of the past years and months finally couldn't hold back the anger in their hearts anymore!
It's not so much that Ye Feng's influence keeps Williams fans from letting him go, but rather that fans can't bear such a blow when the team is increasingly collapsing and falling. And even if the news of Barton's arrival at the same time does not calm the fans, because everyone knows that Barton still has a contract and there is a high probability that he will not come. But Ye Feng is different, his contract expires at the end of the season, and even the arrogant Williams fans now understand how lethal a personal invitation from Ferrari and Schumacher can be to a young man. The reason why they are so radical is because they are so desperate, and in despair, they have a young star of hope being poached by the Italians right in front of their eyes
And now corresponding to the overreaction of the fans, the person concerned, Ye Feng, has remained silent, no one knows what this young man is thinking now, but it is certain that the pressure on his body at this time must be very huge. In fact, Ye Feng is a very innocent guy from beginning to end of this matter, and what is in front of him now is definitely to be a teammate of the car king, or to stay and not let Williams fans despair again.
Let's wait and see! At the same time, give Ye Feng the greatest understanding and tolerance! β
βThe Times F1 column, Damon. Hill
After Ye Feng's apartment was surrounded by a group of angry fans2, the people who gradually regained their senses began to disperse from the villa in an orderly manner. In fact, they didn't do anything excessive, they just used this way to express their dissatisfaction to Ye Feng. Maybe people in China can't figure out what these people are doing when they are full. But for most people who love motorsport, loving a team and a driver is not much different from loving a football team and a star. Racing has become part of the daily lives of these Britons, and the impulse to erupt is no less powerful than a football riot, as Damon did in the day. When Hill and Michael Schumacher were competing for the championship, some extreme fans in Britain and Germany threatened to behead Hill and Schumacher!
But when the impulse is released to a certain extent, when people find that this channel does not solve anything, people disperse. However, the Williams fans proved to be the most painful fans in the F1 team.
Because just when Ye Feng's transfer turmoil has not really subsided, all the mainstream European media have reported another shocking news: Ralph. Schumacher has signed a contract with Toyota for next season. It also meant that Williams lost another team's main driver while he wasn't sure if he could keep Ye Feng and get Barton