Schumi Retires For Good

[Quiet One 15]

It's the right decision. I also thought his comment which QO quoted was really a great thing to say, and that his openness was refreshing throughout his comeback. If all Schumi and some of his critics take from his return is that Schumacher isn't such a hard nosed, closed off, unemotional winning machine, I think that is a success in itself, and is more important for his reputation than his failure to replicate his previous form.

That was exactly what I was thinking today. The 7 times WDC was a monster driver, but also arrogant, cold and distant most of the time. The combeack Schumi didn't shone as a driver, but was one of the warmest nicest guys out of the track and his way of dealing with what must have been a massively frustraing return made lot of us anti Schumis warm up to Michael the guy.

Like you say, this was perhaps the last achievement he hasn't won the first time, but now he did, and he won it in style.

Congrats, Michael, you leave as a champ. And congrats to your younger brother....no, wait...he left as a chimp...

[Massa 0]

Ralf should come out and announce his retirement, too. These last three years have been his most productive in F1, statistically speaking. Go out on a high.

[Guest]

I think it's a fitting testament to any great driver that they can choose their own date for retiring, rather than just not being able to secure a drive like most.

Pro sport (and F1 in particular) offers ridiculously short careers. So to be on the wrong right side of 40 and still have options in this sport in these times is quite incredible.

All the other present, former and aspiring WDCs on the grid say they don't want to be around at 40, truth is............they'll never get the chance.

[Jean-Pierre 0]

Unfortunately, all his records have an asterisk beside them, because he cheated so many times that we can't overlook this fact.

Yes he was a great driver, but remember ha almost always had the best car in his champioship years, a little bit like Prost.

And he is certainly not the driver of the century IMHO.

I liked him a lot better in his second career and the fact that he could be almost from day one as fast as Nico is incredible.

[Guest]

Unfortunately, all his records have an asterisk beside them, because he cheated so many times that we can't overlook this fact.

Yes he was a great driver, but remember ha almost always had the best car in his champioship years, a little bit like Prost.

And he is certainly not the driver of the century IMHO.

I liked him a lot better in his second career and the fact that he could be almost from day one as fast as Nico is incredible.

Unfortunately, my belief in freedom of speech means that even such dribble be given the uncontested exposure............

......on the other hand, you are simply a £"$%^&*())($"£$ (god, this swear filter impedes on my free speech!!)

[Peeweev 0]

Unfortunately, all his records have an asterisk beside them, because he cheated so many times that we can't overlook this fact.

Yes he was a great driver, but remember ha almost always had the best car in his champioship years, a little bit like Prost.

And he is certainly not the driver of the century IMHO.

I liked him a lot better in his second career and the fact that he could be almost from day one as fast as Nico is incredible.

I would like to disagree with all his records he didnt always have the cleanest and best racing no doubting that (and maybe the stewards have been good friends to him in his 1st career) but he still drove v well and deserves most of his titles

[Jean-Pierre 0]

Unfortunately, my belief in freedom of speech means that even such dribble be given the uncontested exposure............

......on the other hand, you are simply a £"$%^&*())($"£$ (god, this swear filter impedes on my free speech!!)

It is easy to say someone is a @&$ whatever when one does not have the words to express his or her argument. Schumacher was a cheater and was no sportsman, this is a widely know fact. He cheated repeatedly and this is well documented as well as the fact that he almost always had the best car. So if you have an argument, state it with actual words, not with signs like $&@! Or whatever, caus it does not make you look good.

[Guest]

JP - You are proof that human beings defy Darwin's belief that the fittest survive.

[Massa 0]

I think Schumacher's missteps in regards to the rules are perfectly valid to bring up.

However, for all the times Schumacher crossed the line rules-wise, he also crossed the line in first place ninety-one times, and to me, that counts for more. He was hugely successful as a driver, and I guess I just find it hard to take F1 seriously enough to be too bothered by the fact he had some really dubious moments before my time. I consider these guys entertainers as much as anything else (their job is to win, not to entertain, but I think that they entertain more than they win) and Schumacher entertained in 2006.

[Quiet One 15]

This I will miss more than Michael and all his championships:

http://planetf1.com/off-on-f1/8180715/Secret-Tageblog-This-Is-The-End

[Jean-Pierre 0]

JP - You are proof that human beings defy Darwin's belief that the fittest survive.

And you show you do not really know you idol. Just look at the margin by which he won his championships and you'll have to agree he had the best car by far. I've seen almost all the races since 1977 and to say that during the time ms was champion he did not have the best car is simply, we'll...,

Let's just say you were misquoted.

[AleHop 0]

And you show you do not really know you idol. Just look at the margin by which he won his championships and you'll have to agree he had the best car by far. I've seen almost all the races since 1977 and to say that during the time ms was champion he did not have the best car is simply, we'll...,

Let's just say you were misquoted.

At least he didn't achieved his first couple of titles by Matesmitz buying them. He had to work hard on an unproductive Ferrari for 5 long years before he achieved his third. He never had a Helmut Marko licking his a$$ every race. And so on, and so forth...

[Jean-Pierre 0]

Hi £"$%^&*())($"£$ alias DPR,

go on with your freedom of speech (which should not be impeeded if you could only think of the right words, but using therms like £"$%^&*())($"£$ clearly show that this is something you can't do) and tell me what you think of your driver of the century now.

[Massa 0]

And it's over.

Wheel-to-wheel with Räikkönen, playing ice hockey with Kobayashi, and finishing higher than LabradoRacer would have expected.

A few points and a few pats on the shoulder for Vettel. Seems he ended in good spirits.

I wish him well, and look forward to his next comeback.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

And it's over.

Wheel-to-wheel with Räikkönen, playing ice hockey with Kobayashi, and finishing higher than LabradoRacer would have expected.

A few points and a few pats on the shoulder for Vettel. Seems he ended in good spirits.

I wish him well, and look forward to his next comeback.

Well, Im ecstatic that he ended the race in that position, and "assisting" Vettel in his championship bid. Jay, today I'm grateful Schumie made a comeback!

[Rainmaster 7]

He was happy to let Vettel through and thought it was a nice story, one German great retiring and another one winning a historic championship.

Goodbye Schumi. I won't miss him because he wasn't the driver he once was, but his humility goes a long way.

[LabradoRacer 2]

Thanks, Schumi, for entertaining us in your last race. Live the good life. Adios.