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Formula 1 Schumacher confirms his retirement

Quote:

After an emotional win in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Michael Schumacher has announced he will retire from race driving at the end of this season. His relationship with Ferrari will, however, continue.
"Words are not enough and whatever I could say now will never fully express how much I love this fascinating world of motor sport and all it has given me," said Schumacher. "From go-karting to Formula One, I have lived through moments that I will never forget. I am profoundly grateful for everything I have had. I want to thank everyone who has accompanied me, supported and inspired me, right back to the days of my childhood.

“Above all, a special thanks goes to (my wife) Corinna and our two children, who have given me the strength to do what I have done. All these years in Formula One have been amazing, especially those spent alongside my friends in the Scuderia. Soon my future will belong to my family, while I am happy to be still part of Ferrari. But for now, what matters is this world championship."

Schumacher has been with Ferrari for 11 seasons, securing five of his drivers' titles with the team and contributing to six of their constructors' crowns. No other driver has won as much with the Italian squad, who were keen to pay tribute to their great driver.

"I had always said that the decision to retire would be his alone, but now that decision has been taken, I feel a sense of sadness," commented Ferrari President and CEO, Luca di Montezemolo. "We have lived through some unforgettable times together, some good some bad, achieving results that will be hard to equal. To Michael goes the thanks of everyone in the company and supporters of Ferrari for all the dedication he has shown to our colours, for the determination and courage with which he has worked, which has provided immense satisfaction. He is both sincere and passionate and has earned the affection of all of us and of our fans. His relationship with Maranello will continue, albeit in a different form and I am very happy about that."

"Michael has been the author of a unique chapter in the history of Formula One and of Ferrari in particular. It has yet to reach its conclusion and what he has achieved extends over and above the results obtained," added Managing Director, Jean Todt. "He is an exceptional man and will become a legend as a driver. For me personally, he is a great friend and together we have lived through unrepeatable experiences. Having had the opportunity to work alongside him has been and will continue to be a privilege."

Ferrari will announce a new team structure at the end of the year, including a definition of Schumacher’s new role.

during the race, it was announced that he was going to announce something big at the press conference... it was speculated that it could be even be him getting kicked out of ferrari and joining mclaren... but he's just plain old retiring! Kimi is taking his place.

and the offical release:
http://www.ferrariworld.com/events/m...monza01_en.pdf

for as long as i've been watching racing, it's been ferrari and schmacher... it's going to be weird as heck next year... and likely another alonso season? :hmm:

A sad day and the end of an era. At least I will be able to tell my children that I once attended a live F1 race and watched Michael Schumacher take the checkered flag.

I would bet on Kimi beating Fernando next year, especially since McLaren is so amazingly inconsistent. Sure, they rival Ferrari on a good day, but how often are those? The Kimi-Felipe rivalry should be interesting, too. Throw Lewis Hamilton into the mix, and you have the recipe for a really interesting post-Schumacher season.

MS redefined perfection in F1. His focus was outstanding. He's definately had some mis-steps, this year's Monte Carlo qualifying for example, but his career and what he did to Ferrari is nearly beyond comprehension. It will be interesting to watch Ferrari over the next few years as it certainly was built around Michael. Todt might leave, who knows about Braun, the team will slowly change. It may be only then that we can fully appreciate Schumacher's accomplishments.

I'll miss him. Watching the races will not be the same.

Can't say he has anything left to prove on the track though. This leaves him plenty of time to share with family, and with a remarkable (pre-40yo) career in his pocket.

Craven, I share your interest in the Ferrari pit lineup for the coming years. What with his contract expiration, I'll be surprised if Todt isn't gone as well, unless perhaps something's going on there with Michael's "continuing" role? Time will tell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by politicophile

A sad day and the end of an era. At least I will be able to tell my children that I once attended a live F1 race and watched Michael Schumacher take the checkered flag.

I envy you that. I've yet to make any F1 race, but I do have one of his early signed Benetton prints! :rolleyes:

I saw him race only once, and he managed to break his leg.
The best driver any of us will ever see, I'd say.

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Originally Posted by castex

The best driver any of us will ever see, I'd say.

Perhaps. I still have my eye on Kimi. He has continually outpaced his teammates by a considerable margin. My formula: Ferrari Reliability + Kimi = 2007 World Champion.

I never saw Senna, I'm sorry to say...

You guys said it all, not much more to say. Best F1 driver of all-time. 7 WCs are off the charts, especially in this day of F1 politics and favoritism. I particularly enjoyed watching him drive in the wet. Didn't have Senna or Mansell's charisma, or Prost's smoothness, or Hakkinen's style, but a better racer than all of them.

My favorite memory of him was from the '94 Canadian GP, before any of his WCs. I was sitting in the middle stands at the start/finish line, about midpack. All the cars but Schumacher were lined up, engines off. Schumacher is coming up the middle to his starting position, revving his Benetton-Ford engine up and down to very high revs, letting everyone - spectators, drivers, pit crews, team owners - know he was coming through. It was his 3rd year (2nd full) in F1. The sound of the engine - and the bravado of revving it so loudly and ferociously in front of everyone - was pretty darn cool.

My favorite looking car of his was the '95 Benetton and the '91 Jordan.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...frsbenet95.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...enheim_569.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...umacher912.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...umacher911.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...1jordanspa.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...umacher915.jpg

i'm like his green/blue car, but it still ain't red :D