Speed Kills (All The Fun)

• Share

(2 of 2)

F1 organizers wouldn't mind giving the other drivers a bit of help. Although F1 still attracts more TV viewers worldwide than any other sport, from 2000 to 2003, as Schumacher was winning the championship each year, the combined TV audience in France, Germany and Britain shrank 13%, according to the French audience-research company Mediametrie. In an effort to clip Ferrari's wings and level the playing field for less richly financed teams, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), which regulates F1, proposed changes last week to bring down overall costs. The FIA wants to reduce engine size, limit tire selection and require every team to use their cars in more than one race. But even with the changes, it's hard to imagine any driver outracing Schumacher.

Schumacher, of course, denies that his dominance is hurting the sport. "Something very special is happening with Ferrari," he told journalists recently. "I think people want to see who is going to be the first to beat us too." And while rival drivers are frustrated by Ferrari's success, it is a matter of pride that Schumacher not be hobbled by regulations. "I don't want rules that would help me beat Michael," says Juan Pablo Montoya, 28, a rising star with Williams BMW whom many regard as Schumacher's closest challenger. "I want to beat Michael when he's at the top of his game." Montoya might take heart from the fact that Tiger Woods, at least, eventually proved to be human.