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Is Michael Schumacher on the eve of his Formula 1 farewell?
"I am aware of the fact that this wait for the Ferrari announcement has been lived with a lot of tension. Last week the team finally clarified that the announcement will be made after the Italian Grand Prix. This will allow us to focus fully on the race, and that's all. Of course, there will also be my announcement. By now I have realised that to delay any longer, not clarifying this issue definitively, would be very unpleasant".
Actually, Michael Schumacher would have liked to wait longer. His manager, Willi Weber, had recently asked for an extra dose of patience from the Maranello management. But Ferrari has imposed a stop: the future has to be announced, the planning for 2007 depends on it. The hope is that the announcement will come with a World Championship still in the balance. Until Sunday, September 10, 2006, Michael Schumacher will try to think only of the present.
"Monza has always been an important race for Ferrari, it is part of the F1 tradition. I really believe we have a good chance of winning the World Championship. There are four races left, nothing is decided, we have the right to dream of winning both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships".
They affectionately call him a hero, but they take his retirement for granted. The Bild, a popular German newspaper that has always been close to Michael Schumacher, has no doubts: on Sunday the Ferrari driver will announce the end of his incredible career. The time has even already been decided when the seven-time World Champion will say goodbye to a world that has filled him with gold and success, ending an earworm that has lasted since the beginning of the year: the announcement will be made at 6:00 p.m., in a meeting with journalists, if Michael Schumacher has not managed to finish in the top three in the Italian Grand Prix, or immediately after the race, in the official press conference, if the German has finished on the podium. The Bild, in its anticipation, does nothing but confirm what everyone in F1 has been taking for granted for weeks now. Michael Schumacher has always retorted to those who bet on his retirement, the last to suffer his wrath was Bernie Ecclestone, who in Istanbul spoke of the German's farewell as a sure thing and so was answered:
"Does he really say that? You can see that he knows more than I do since I haven’t decided yet".
It was a Schumacher willing to leave an open door, speaking of eleven days ago, not of the stone age, but in fact, those who are close to him guarantee that the great decision, certainly suffered, was taken many months ago. The signs that lead to this conclusion are many, Monza will only be the theatre where the driver will be forced to give, as Bild claims, this great shock to his fans, perhaps sweetened by a triumph in the Grand Prix, but it will not be the track that changes the course of history. Many details, big or small, make it clear. The first, the most immediate, concerns the timing of the announcement. If Michael Schumacher decided to continue racing, why postpone everything until after the race? Sunday’s race is a sort of last chance, the German, if he still wants to believe in the comeback on Alonso (he is 12 points away), has to win at all costs, and what better atmosphere, for him and the Ferrari fans, could have created the announcement of a fantastic career that continues? Nor does the argument, made by Ferrari, that the decision to postpone everything until after the race is made so as not to upset the drivers, hold up. Taking the arrival of Kimi Räikkönen at Maranello for granted, if Felipe Massa were the one excluded from the starting line-up for 2007, it is hard to think that the Brazilian does not already know this, which in Turkey did not prevent him from grabbing the first victory of his career, so the thesis of him being upset is not credible. It is, however, if the one excluded by his own choice, is Michael Schumacher. By announcing his retirement on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix, the German would be hounded by questions until Sunday and his concentration for a crucial race in the fight for the World Championship would be compromised.
Then other issues filter out from his entourage and would make him opt for retirement. Willi Weber, the manager, has been insisting for some time:
"He had a great season, it would be the best time to retire and end it on a high note".
Speaking first in case of victory of the title and then also in case of second place, completing all possible hypotheses. Michael Schumacher, who is in Venice on Tuesday, September 5, 2006, for the opening of a Ferrari store, has always pretended nothing was happening, but the manager is also a friend and his advice may have left its mark. Another thing: the arrival at Maranello of a young and fast driver like Kimi Räikkönen. The German has never been afraid of comparisons, but on January 3, 2007, he will be 38 years old, and the risk of being beaten by his teammate is high. How could a champion like him bear such disgrace? Not to mention that in recent times even Felipe Massa is also making him worry. Ferrari in Turkey discovered a winning driver in the Brazilian, Michael Schumacher applauded, but if it were to happen again he would find it hard to accept it. In addition, another detail that may have had an influence, it seems certain that Brawn, the strategist, the man who more than any other guided him from the pits, will be leaving the team. The German has a great feeling with all the mechanics, but the lack of such an important point of reference may have led him to reflect. What if Ferrari (or he) were unable to fight for the World Championship? Better to dive into the last effort and put all your eggs in this final basket. Mark Webber, Williams driver, says he saw him drinking two beers on Thursday before Hockenheim, but in reality, he is put together and promises battle and show at Monza. If he really is at his last dance, he wants a standing ovation. And so we arrive at the press conference on Thursday, September 7, 2006, which Michael Schumacher also attends. Who, when asked, does not answer. How do you imagine your last Grand Prix in Monza? Silence. But would it not have been better to announce your retirement at the end of the season?
"Let’s move on to another question".
The atmosphere is surreal. Everybody knows, or at least they think they know, they push, but Michael Schumacher is a sphinx. Sometimes smiling, sometimes embarrassed, about his possible retirement at the end of the year, or at least about what he has to announce after the race, since a heavy statement of his is certain and confirmed by all the people close to him, he says nothing. He talks about the possible victory in Monza, about his great desire to catch Fernando Alonso, about the certainty that the fight for the World Championship is still open, but not about the future. Because Ferrari's team order is clear and this time you do not need the radio to find out: sealed lips, trouble to those who speak, it applies to the German, who has never been so besieged by journalists, and it applies to Felipe Massa, who is forced to say:
"It has been a pleasure growing up alongside him, gaining experience from a teammate like him, but he hasn’t retired yet, let’s wait to talk about him as an ex".
However, everyone inside the Monza circuit does. Everyone got it, drivers, team managers, simple fans. There are banners urging him not to give up, to stay, to fight again with Ferrari, but words, as Schumacher himself has said several times, cannot change the course of history. As not to create other doubts, opening up other captivating scenarios, and attracting curiosity is a sentence by Ecclestone; asked about Schumacher's retirement, he states:
"He will leave when Jean Todt and Ross Brawn leave. The three of them are one big family, a very close-knit trio, if one quits, they all leave. Of course, Ferrari will not be the same, although it will remain the usual myth, it will survive, it will be able to renew itself and it will continue to fight for the World Championship".
All we needed was Bernie Ecclestone's prediction to boost the excitement. Because if we take for granted Michael Schumacher's departure and Ross Brawn's farewell to Ferrari, at this point you could think that even Jean Todt (if Ecclestone, as is usually the case with number ones, is well-informed) is on the verge of ending his glorious career. Waiting to jump into yet another dilemma dyed red (the French manager said he will reveal his future only at the end of the season, but many think he may stay at least for another year), there remains this strange eve, with Michael Schumacher who wants to talk about the race, racing cars, lap times and Bridgestone tyres (the Ferrari ones) ready based on last week's tests to beat the Michelin tyres (fitted on Renault), while everyone has started to treat him like a hero of the past, glorifying his talent, throwing in anecdotes, with Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella talking about a great loss, with Vitantonio Liuzzi who remembers having beaten him at least once (in 2001 at Kerpen on karts), with Heikki Kovalainen who never crossed him in a Formula 1 race (only in 2007 will he wear the official Renault suit), but remembering to have had him as a challenger in the Race of Champions in Paris. And then there is Fernando Alonso, the last great rival, the driver who could prevent him from finishing style, with the eighth world title.
"I would like him to stay on track, he’s a great champion, and it’s great to beat him. However, I don't think his retirement will influence our fight, he has already made up his mind at least a month ago, yet he's always very focused. I won't miss him, there are still 21 other drivers to beat and it's not easy. But it will be impossible to reach his records".
Kimi Räikkönen, the very man who will be called upon to replace Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, avoids sharing any comments or memories.
"He is finishing his career? I don't care".
He said, stiffly observing the script he had been given. The Finn is part of the post-race announcements, he cannot betray himself. Otherwise goodbye surreal atmosphere. An atmosphere, however, that Schumacher tries to overheat:
"I’m focused as usual, I don’t have any problems. The feelings are positive. We need a Ferrari 1-2, Massa and I are ready, we can do it".
The big party. Before an announcement that, after all, catchphrases aside, tastes of sadness. Michael Schumacher's hope is to repeat the same experience as Jackie Stewart, retiring as World Champion, as the Scot did in 1973. Three world titles on the wall, 67 years old, Jackie Stewart, Scottish trousers proudly worn in the paddock, has been there before. He knows how to do it, when it is the right time to stop, even if you are still surrounded by glory, popularity, and floods of applause.
"I decided in April, not knowing that at the end of the season I would win another World Championship. I had mononucleosis, a series of haemorrhages, I couldn't take it anymore. Races, tests, promotional tours, sponsors, I was exhausted. I felt like I was at the top of my career, and I realised that this was the best time to end it. Schumacher has to do the same, whether he wins the title or comes second. He must not leave a bad memory, but the image of a champion, of a winning, unstoppable driver. I understand it's a painful choice, but it has to be done rationally. If you think with your heart, it's over. Maybe you retire and then, after a few years, come back, like Lauda, Mansell, Prost did. Instead, you have to plan, open the account book, and evaluate the pros and cons. I didn't want to take any more risks. I had seen too many colleagues die. I chose to become a businessman. Schumacher can do the same: with his popularity, he can talk to all the heads of state without problems, and get anywhere. If I try to talk to the Queen of England, I can. Maybe I'll wait half a day, but I can do it. Beware: in sports, it's only getting first that counts, nobody remembers your defeats. And if you take your company to the top ten in the world, that's a resounding success".
Retiring immediately, thinking of getting richer, and exploiting his image. But Michael Schumacher is accustomed to the front covers, to living fast and on the front lines, is he not likely to fall into depression?
"He now has a family, a wife, two children. Then you have to distinguish between what he was, one of the greatest drivers of all time, and what he is now. He's still a top-class driver, I'm convinced he can get Alonso back, and win the World Championship, but in Istanbul I asked myself: he couldn't pass the Spaniard, would the same thing have happened a few years ago? I do not think so".
The fact remains that Ferrari will feel a little orphaned.
"For sure. It is not just a driver leaving, but the man who has made it great, who has been able to motivate the group, exalting the organisational genius of Jean Todt, the strategic ability of Ross Brawn, the skills of the mechanics. Everyone wanted to work with Schumacher because he knows how to grasp the virtues of everyone. He had won two World Championships with Benetton, went to Maranello, saw the structure and thought: how have they not won for years? They obviously don't have the right people. Then he met Todt, realising he had a very capable manager in front of him. Schumacher gave his professionalism and enthusiasm and now Ferrari is almost unbeatable. It will be like replacing a president, but they will succeed: that is Schumacher's great legacy. A dead team has become a perfect team and can now move forward on its own. Let's be clear, no one can imitate him. Nor will ever be able to beat his records".
Meanwhile, Flavio Briatore confirms his current technical organisation, which boasts a record of world titles, and two crown jewels in drivers like Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen. This is a guarantee of continuity for the technical centres in Enstone (United Kingdom) and Viry-Châtillon (France), led respectively by Bob Bell and Pat Symonds on the one hand and André Lainè and Rob White on the other. This stability will be essential to enable the team to adapt to the next major technical changes, such as the switch to a single tyre supplier from 2007, the introduction of a new powertrain regulation and a new technical regulation for 2008.
"The team led by Flavio achieved great results in 2005 with a double Drivers' and Constructors' World Championship and managed to maintain its level of competitiveness in 2006".
Renault president, Carlos Ghosn, comments.
"I am counting on the determination, talent and efficiency of Flavio and the entire Renault F1 Team, headed by Alain Dassas, to bring Renault back to the top step of the podium".
And Flavio Briatore adds:
"I am very happy to continue to lead Renault's F1 programme and it is an honour for me to work for one of the most important international companies and with one of the most respected executives in the world. Carlos Ghosn's commitment and enthusiasm for the F1 project this year is an essential part of my decision".
Heikki Kovalainen, 24, currently third driver, has covered more than 28,000 km in testing for the Renault F1 Team since 2004. Former GP2 Series champion in 2005, he is ready to make the big leap and become a Formula 1 driver with the chance to make his debut in the ranks of the team currently leading in the standings.
"I am very happy to have the opportunity to race with a World Champion team of the calibre of Renault. In 2002, I joined the Renault Driver Development Programme and during that time my ambition was to become a Formula 1 driver one day. It's a fantastic feeling to know that I've finally achieved this dream. Two seasons with this amazing team and one in GP2 allowed me to build a solid technical background and understand what it takes to win in Formula 1. I also had the opportunity to show the team what I was capable of and it is a great satisfaction to know that I have gained everyone's trust. It will be a very strong emotion to be on the starting grid in Melbourne, although there is still a long way to go. I am focused on my job to help Renault climb to the championship".
Friday, September 8, 2006, the first not to get his hopes up too high is Michael Schumacher. Excluding the young Bmw driver, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher is the fastest in free practice, able to beat Felipe Massa in the time standings by 0.044 seconds, but above all to leave Fernando Alonso behind by almost 1.5 seconds. Too good to be true as the German, burnt by what happened in Istanbul, does not trust him.
"It’s a heavy, excessive gap, it’s not possible for Renault to go so slowly, it’s not a realistic picture. I have a lot of faith in my Ferrari, it is the car to beat, I hope Massa can repeat the great performance of Istanbul, and that our team will be able to score a 1-2, to monopolise the podium, but I know that Alonso is much closer, he showed it here a week ago in testing. He must have driven with a lot of fuel, certainly in qualifying and in the race the situation will change".
It will be like in Turkey when the opaque Fernando Alonso on Friday turned into Sunday's roaring driver. Michael Schumacher’s triumph is needed here:
"We owe it to our fans, wonderful as always, every time I race in Monza it’s inevitable to get excited".
Otherwise, the comeback risks becoming utopic. The German, while the audience with eloquent banners urges him not to retire, is aware of this. Dreaming victory:
"We have everything to bring it home, on this track our potential is enormous, the dominance in the first practice sessions did not surprise us".
But above all, he knows that he has to finish in front of Fernando Alonso at all costs.
"The only result I can accept at the moment".
A possible obstacle could be the old engine, already used in Istanbul, on a track where very high speeds are reached, while Fernando Alonso can use a new Renault engine at most, but Michael Schumacher swears he is absolutely calm under this aspect:
"Last week we covered the kilometres of two Grands Prix with ease, I don’t fear any breakage".
Listening to Flavio Briatore, there are other worries.
"His retirement? I'm not surprised. He said he would stop when he found a faster teammate and right now Massa is that. He leaves as a champion, not a star. In his place will come Räikkönen: I tried to take him, but he signed for Ferrari months ago. There was nothing that could be done".
Another difficult Friday does not discourage Fernando Alonso.
"On the first day we are always way behind the Ferraris, then we catch up. It happened in Turkey as well".
You seem pretty relaxed.
"I don’t see why I shouldn’t. I'm doing my best, that's all I can do. The important thing is not to make mistakes".
Maybe it is more Michael Schumacher that is under pressure these days.
"All stories. His supposed retirement doesn't change that. Not at all, if he retires he wants to win and he wants to win even if he doesn’t retire".
That is obvious.
"That’s right, no one will benefit from it. I certainly won't".
Speaking of perks, they took away the mass damper from Renault.
"That one, what a strange decision. First they give you the ok for the stabiliser and then they take it away. It wouldn’t have happened with other teams".
Are you saying that Formula 1 is about politics?
"Inside Formula 1? Absolutely not. Out of Formula 1".
Shall we talk about the McLaren?
"It’s a topic I’ll be better prepared on next year".
Say it once and for all: why did you leave Renault?
"Why? We didn’t know exactly what they were going to do after 2007 and I honestly believe they won’t spend that much money to be able to win again".
Nice way to thank those who believed in Alonso.
"What does that have to do with it? I spent six wonderful years at Renault. We grew up together, step by step. We won out of nowhere. Then choices are made: that’s life".
But did Flavio Briatore know?
"I told him a week before the announcement".
How did it go?
"It wasn’t easy, but we are men. This was a matter of business".
Is it true that the first approach with McLaren took place on a podium?
"True. Not on one in particular. Then at the 2005 German Grand Prix at a dinner, I made a joke to Ron Dennis and from that laugh a conversation was born".
Why not Ferrari?
"McLaren is also in the top three, maybe top two. Right?"
This year they are suffering with zero wins.
"Let’s put it this way: the real challenge is to win with a team that isn’t Ferrari".
That is an important statement.
"Just a fact. However, I’m not worried: the potential of the team is great and everyone will have the same tyres".
What will be the most difficult task?
"Adapt to the team. Also because Kimi Räikkönen has a driving style opposite to mine".
Who will be your teammate?
"I don’t know, and I’d like to know it soon. I read that they will say it at Christmas, I honestly hope to know it much sooner".
You will switch from Flavio Briatore to Ron Dennis.
"The first is a showman, the other one is more reserved. We’ll find that out too".
What about Spain winning in so many sports? Also in basketball.
"Good thing. Football, however, remains in the lead, and then there is Formula 1".
On Saturday, September 9, 2006, Kimi Räikkönen with the McLaren-Mercedes took pole position at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix held in Monza. At his side in the front row, beaten by just 0.002 seconds, Michael Schumacher with Ferrari. The Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who took fifth place on the grid in qualifying, was penalised by the race director for obstructing Massa and will start from tenth position. In the end, the fight is not between the two protagonists of the 2006 World Championship. Fernando Alonso, before the disqualification, had not managed to go beyond the fifth time, leaving the first row to the men who, according to all forecasts, will announce their swap in Ferrari tomorrow. Kimi Raikkonen, who also took pole position at Monza a year ago, prevailed by just two thousandths over Michael Schumacher. It is Räikkönen's twelfth career pole position, the third this year. On the last lap, the Finn denied the German of pole position number 69 of his extraordinary career, which seems to be coming to an end. Behind the Finn and the German is the Bmw Sauber of Nick Heidfeld. Then, fourth, the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa. Alonso will start in tenth place. Among other things, a puncture in the crucial stages of the session will force Fernando Alonso to board less fuel in the race, and therefore perhaps a strategy in favour of Ferrari. Just like his Renault was damaged. It will be the race that will solve any doubts of leadership. The exciting qualifying is the right premise for a race that promises to be thrilling. After just over five minutes, the bursting of Bridgestone’s left rear tyre of Sakon Yamamoto's Super Aguri had led to the suspension of Q1 for the time needed to clear the asphalt, on which rain had fallen during the night. In the first session, Christian Klien's Red Bull Racing spun and he had to stop. In the end, the fastest was Michael Schumacher, while Yamamoto, Satō, Monteiro, Webber, Albers and Liuzzi were eliminated. In the second session, in which Felipe Massa was on top, Christian Klien, Scott Speed, David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher, Nico Rosberg and Jarno Trulli were out, the last one only by 0.046 seconds. In the decisive session, there was also a mistake by Fernando Alonso at the entrance of the second chicane, while lining up behind Michael Schumacher. Probably a distraction that cost him the puncture and the destruction of the left rear Michelin and therefore an unexpected stop for the replacement of tyres, with a strenuous return to the pits. Michael Schumacher says at the end of the session:
"Everything went well in practice and qualifying. We took a very good position, not the best because I wanted to be on pole, but the key thing is to race in the best form tomorrow".
For 17 centimetres, the scream remains choked down the throat. Two-thousandths made Kimi Räikkönen great, on a circuit where, at the end of the straight you can reach speeds of almost 350 km/h, two thousandths, the inertia that deprived Michael Schumacher of the pole position, which prevented the apotheosis and turned the great celebrations of the Ferrari fans into disappointment. The German who has made the red car great and who will announce his retirement after the race is second, first row, but on the dirty side of the track, not the noble side that rewards the king of Saturday, curiously occupied by the one who will take his place in Maranello, the cold Kimi Räikkönen who never smiles, the driver that some banners would not want:
"Because red doesn’t suit you".
Michael Schumacher has not beaten everyone, he is not the best, but it does not matter, Sunday is still his big day, the moment that many fans would never want to live, the opportunity to reopen the World Championship, but also to announce to the whole world and therefore, also to those cheering for him that next year he will not be racing any more, that his endless series of victories is coming to an end, that his chain of world titles, victories and pole positions will not able to be replenished any more. Monza is torn about it. Even on Saturday, there are many banners inviting him to rethink, every day passing they seem to multiply. Michael Schumacher sees them, and all he can do is say:
"Thanks to these fans. They have always been wonderful to me, every time I race here they’ve made me feel at home. I always manage to get excited in Monza, the push these people can give me is enormous. It won't make me faster, that's what I have to think about by pressing the accelerator, but it certainly makes me happier. We have won a lot on this track and we must continue. I don't know how much fuel Räikkönen has, he told me he made a mistake at the Ascari turn, I probably would have never been able to beat him, but in the race, the story will be different. I have good tyres, a great car, but above all great feelings. Alonso is behind and that's good news for the World Championship. Massa is also strong and I'm sure he'll be able to finish ahead of him. We can take a lot of points, there is a chance to reduce my gap in the standings, we can continue to believe in the title".
The German also speaks about the present so as not to fall into temptation, not to risk crossing into the future, betraying himself and perhaps implying something that many have been imagining for a long time. After the race Michael Schumacher will probably touch the feelings of everyone, certainly every person in the Ferrari world, it is said that he has designed something special for his runway on the podium, something that means more than any word, but first, on this long and strange eve, and during the race, when he will be called to the utmost effort to beat Alonso and no emotion must be revealed.
"I’m focused, ready to fight. Tonight I’ll sleep peacefully, as I’ve always done".
Luca Montezemolo argues that Michael Schumacher will remain forever in the history of Ferrari. They tell him so, and he immediately defends himself:
"The president will also remain in history. If we've won so much in recent years, the main credit is his. For his choices and his unconditional support of the men".
All right, but if it was not for someone pushing on the accelerator, someone who could dance better than anyone else on the wet, someone who could change the car's settings at every turn, it would have been a little harder to win. Schumacher smiles in front of so many compliments, but at the moment they appear to him as misplaced details. All he has in his head is the finish line, an irresistible desire to win.
"I don’t think I will be able to overtake Räikkönen at the first corner, I’m sceptical about that. I'm starting from the dirty side, it's already a success to keep second place. But during the race, I hope there won't be any problems".
There must not be any, otherwise, the perfect script goes to waste. This is Michael Schumacher's Sunday. Of his farewell, that is true, but of a grand exit. Joy and sadness, triumph and then the curtain. The second act cannot do without the first. It would ruin the whole movie. When Michael Schumacher leaves the track, shortly after 6:00 p.m., he does not know that Fernando Alonso will be penalised and will start on the fifth row. The stewards have not issued their verdict yet, Luca Montezemolo cannot know it, but he still believes in the great comeback. He has confidence in his driver and Ferrari, he is convinced that he is the president of the strongest team, the one with the fastest car. All day long he greets with smiles and carefully avoids the subject. President Montezemolo, how much will you miss Schumacher?
"A lot. When he decides to stop, in 10 years, maybe 15, he will leave a huge void".
Actually, the painful decision should be known immediately after the race.
"If it was true, for what he has done, for what he does and for what he will do, he will remain forever in the history of Ferrari. He was a unique driver, probably the greatest of all. He is certainly still the best of the current grid, although I have a lot of respect for Massa, Räikkönen and Alonso".
In his future, if he does not drive anymore, will he still have a place in Ferrari?
"I would like to continue working with him. Schumacher is free to decide what he wants, whatever he wants to do for us will be welcome. I have a special relationship with him. It’s like the matter of the retirement: I always said that the choice would be his, that the contracts between us had no value".
Let us assume that this time has come. Would it not have been better to announce the retirement at the end of the season?
"We said that we would announce our drivers at Monza, waiting didn’t make sense. We would have been under pressure anyway, maybe someone would have written that we were taking Alonso".
Why then after the race and not before?
"Our efforts are all focused on getting Schumacher to win the World Championship, we wanted to protect his focus. This is a crucial, decisive race. We are obliged to win".
Kimi Räikkönen is on pole. In your opinion Michael Schumacher and the Finn would have been a dream couple. Has the dream faded?
"Dreams never die. If it were possible, I would have wanted four Ferraris, with Schumacher, Massa, Räikkönen and Alonso".
Did Massa pass the first-year exam?
"He has been under contract with us since 2001, we have always believed in him, he is a driver who is growing a lot and a very intelligent man. He can have a great career".
There are also talks about the retirement of Jean Todt and Ross Brawn. How much change will there be in the next Ferrari?
"The watchword remains the same: stability. We have many young people who deserve to be promoted, in December you will also know about the management framework. I can bet on one thing: Ferrari will still be able to fight for the World Championship. For years we've lived in a golden prison, always on the front lines, with different opponents. Better than that long fast of the '80s and '90s. This will not return".
Fernando Alonso's anger erupts at 6:29 p.m., when the three stewards welcome the call of the race director, Charlie Whiting. The charge, for the Spaniard, is to have damaged Felipe Massa just as he was making his launch lap. Guilty of unsportsmanlike behaviour (Article 116 B), the World Champion is punished with the cancellation of the best three laps in the last qualifying period.
A sentence that cost the number one five grid spots, from fifth to tenth. A fifth place that the number one in the world had conquered, with a great show of strength, reacting to a puncture in the right rear tyre that could have compromised the starting position and the car in the race projection. Instead, returning his Renault on three wheels to the pits, and thanks to an emergency pit stop, Fernando Alonso had made a fantastic and lucky lap. The celebration for the performance lasted for nothing because Felipe Massa immediately protested about the anomaly of the situation:
"Of course I’m a bit nervous: I was in my last attempt with new tyres. And what happens? That I find myself in Alonso's slipstream and his turbulence made me lose at least three-tenths. Look at my previous times and you’ll see that I would have taken pole position".
The reply of the Spaniard, before the FIA ruling, arrived punctually:
"But what is he complaining about? What are we talking about? I was 300 or 400 meters ahead. I don't really understand. I have a clear conscience. I know I didn't stand in anyone's way. I have been summoned by the Commissioners, but I am perfectly calm. It’s all lost time, if the judges change anything here then they should change the order of arrival of all fifteen Grands Prix".
Alonso's defence was still countered by the Brazilian:
"I was one second behind: a distance where you lose a lot due to turbulence. I'm not saying Alonso did it on purpose, I'm just explaining what happened. I was on track for one last attempt. In the first section I improved, in the second as well, in the third, following the Renault, I lost three-tenths of the time I had in the previous attempt. That would've been enough to get me into pole position. Again, I don't know if he did it on purpose. I know that normally in the out lap, you let pass those who are on a timed lap. It is clear that I am angry".
The three stewards, Mr Andrews, Mr Spano and Mr Tibiletti, acknowledged that the damage was not voluntary, but noted the substance of the damage. From here, the punishment. A decision that shakes Renault and can affect the World Championship with four Grands Prix to go. It is possible that the word conspiracy, until the last Grand Prix only whispered after the mass damper was banned in Team Renault, is now spoken out loud. The general manager, in the past, had always mentioned (but without ever going into detail) someone who, in the back of the stage, was manoeuvring against the French team. But Renault's official reaction comes late at night, through Pat Symonds:
"A strange, surprising and wrong decision. Episodes that repeat themselves at every qualifying. We would have won, starting fifth. Now I don't know what Fernando can do. And then, I think of the future: what are we going to do, will we put up turn signals and horns?"
On Sunday, September 10, 2006, Kimi Räikkönen made the best getaway at the start of the Italian Grand Prix, easing clear as Schumacher came under attack from Heidfeld. Schumacher ultimately emerged ahead, while Heidfeld, who had to back off in the middle of the Rettifilo chicane, would slip down the field during the opening lap. Instead, it was his rookie teammate Robert Kubica who emerged in third, having rocketed up from sixth on the grid. He led Massa, Heidfeld and Jenson Button, while Alonso made some minor progress to climb to seventh. The race soon developed into a procession, with Schumacher unable to challenge Räikkönen due to the McLaren-Mercedes' superior top speed. Kubica would run in an increasingly lonely third, just ahead of Massa, while Button and Alonso both passed Heidfeld, but the Spaniard could not find a way past the British driver. The order remained stable until the first round of stops, where Schumacher stayed out an additional lap on low fuel and jumped Räikkönen after delivering two fastest sectors.
Kubica remained a lonely third, while Rubens Barrichello and Giancarlo Fisichella moved into the lead group by virtue of conducting a one-stop, rather than a two-stop strategy. Heidfeld would also make ground by jumping back ahead of Massa and Button, Alonso having jumped both as well, but was quickly slapped with a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Due to the variety of strategies and similar top speeds, there would be little change to the order until the final (or in some cases only) round of stops were concluded. This time Alonso would jump into third ahead of Kubica, and set about destroying the gap to Schumacher and Räikkönen ahead, with the Finn staying a couple of seconds behind the Ferrari. Yet, Alonso would push too hard, resulting in his Renault engine blowing itself apart with ten laps to go. That effectively removed the last outlier in the race, for the rest of the field was too far spread apart to produce any late battles. As a result, Schumacher was left to claim an emotional victory and move to within two points of Alonso in what was to be his last title battle. Räikkönen claimed second ahead of Kubica, who claimed his and Poland's maiden podium finish, while Fisichella fended off Button to secure fourth. Barrichello, Jarno Trulli and Heidfeld secured the remaining points, the latter duo running nose-to-tail with Massa on the final lap. The triumph in front of 80.000 spectators. The jump on the podium, a gigantic roundabout on the Ferrari Red Sea. The uncontrollable joy at having reopened the Formula 1 World Championship, the gap dropping to two points, Fernando Alonso's Renault engine going up in smoke. And then the tears in the embrace of his wife Corinna and Jean Todt because we have as he announces his farewell, the end of an incredible career. Michael Schumacher writes the perfect film in Monza: he takes the whole Sunday. And the German's shadow extends over the other announcement: the arrival on a three-year contract of Kimi Räikkönen. He advised him and on the track, he overtook him with the strength of strategy and a pit stop made two laps later. Felipe Massa also extends until 2008 and Michael Schumacher predicts a bright career for him. The present wins. The future, Kimi Räikkönen, is second. Fernando Alonso, the rival, stands by. Three races to go, Michael Schumacher wants to take the eighth title. The last one. Schumacher, then it is really true.
"Yes, the time has come to say stop, at the end of the season I will stop racing".
You just triumphed at Monza, you are pumped up, full of stimuli, why did you decide to retire?
"I am not a second driver, I never will be one, I feel like a number one, I have to fight to win, to be at the top. To succeed in Formula 1 you need energy, strength, and motivation, it is not easy to remain at the highest levels for many years. At the moment I have everything, I lack nothing, in my head there is only one thought, winning the eighth title, beating Alonso. But sooner or later it has to happen, any story ends, you have to reflect, and figure out if you still want to resist. This year I started to realise that everything is getting harder and a doubt crept into my thoughts: will I have the same job as always next year? I’m not so sure anymore, so it’s better to stop".
Is it a painful choice?
"I will miss everything about Formula 1, it has been my world for so many years, it has made my life fantastic. It was not easy to take such a step".
When was the decisive moment?
"In Indianapolis, early July. Doubts were beginning to be quite a few and I could see that a young talent like Massa was at a crossroads, he too had to make a choice, to figure out what was best for him in the future. It wasn't right to block his career, he's a great teammate, a good and smart person. I went to him and told him: look, I’m quitting, you can stay at Ferrari".
When did you tell the team?
"About the same time, right after my victory in the United States. They never put any pressure on me, they never pushed me to say goodbye, they never conditioned me at all. In fact, right up to the end, both Montezemolo and Todt told me that if I wanted to, I could reconsider, but by then the decision was made. Ferrari will always be my family, a fundamental part of my life. I have a lot of friends on the team, I’m sorry I can’t work with them anymore, I’ll miss them".
In a few months are you going to change your mind and get back on track?
"I wouldn’t have made such a decision if I thought about changing it in a few days. It would not make sense".
Have you already decided what your life will be like without Formula 1?
"I will think about it at the end of the season because right now my present is not without Formula 1. In front of me I have three races to win, I managed to recover almost all the disadvantage against Alonso, and here in Monza in the fight for the world title we made a significant step forward, now I just have to think about concentrating, racing and taking home as many points as possible. On the contrary, let me be clear: it was right to announce my retirement, there was no point in waiting any longer, but I will not talk about it again from tomorrow, we will only think about the battle, what remains for me to do with Ferrari".
Montezemolo wants you to stay with the team at all costs.
"They offered me many things, leaving all the doors open. We'll discuss it quietly at the end of the season. I'm going to take some time to think, rest, be with my family, and then give an answer. Whatever my decision will be, Ferrari will always be in my heart. I'm proud to have won so much with this team, to have spent 11 amazing years. I don’t throw anything away, good and bad moments, everything has been special".
But is it true that it was Schumacher who suggested Räikkönen?
"I’ve known for months who would replace me and I say it’s a good choice. Ferrari for 2007 has two excellent drivers".
Do you think they can still win without you?
"They existed before me, they will survive after me. The team has solid foundations, the car is outstanding. Let's try to win this World Championship. Then others will come".
How much influence did your wife Corinna have on your retirement?
"With her we go over even the smallest details, we discuss everything, but she has an extraordinary ability: she understands me better than anyone else, she makes me talk, she realises what I want and she encourages my choices. She didn’t condition me, she helped me".
Does she have much to do with your extraordinary career?
"She is one of the people I have to thank the most. Like my father Rolf, my mother Elizabeth who's gone, my two children. They've always been very supportive. And then Benetton, all the Ferrari men, every fan. Once again here in Monza I realised how much people love me. I will never forget my last time on this incredible podium, a unique emotion. Without all the people who were close to me, I would never have been able to win so much".
You made it clear you were going to announce your farewell on the podium.
"It would have been great, but at the time I had a lump in my throat, I was speechless. I would never have been able to speak".
If it is true that you decided in Indianapolis, why did you torment the Ferrari fans so much by not announcing your farewell immediately?
"I apologise for the wait but I believe there are right times. It was right to stop this year, it was right to announce it in Monza. Where else in the world could I find such an atmosphere?"
Do you realise an era is over with you?
"I know I’ve set a lot of records, I’ve won a lot, I’m proud of that, but the era isn’t over yet, there’s one more world title to go. Then I can leave room for the young people".
Answer quickly: who was your biggest opponent?
"Hakkinen. Duelling at the highest level, always fair. It was a pleasure to race with him. Few words, we only thought about fighting on the track".
What did you think about when you crossed the finish line?
"Many things, my family, the Ferrari men, all my friends. I was shivering".
From the black of McLaren to the red of Ferrari, the choice is right. Kimi Räikkönen is the heir to Michael Schumacher, his 2003 rival. Finnish, twice second (also last year, behind Alonso), nine wins (all with McLaren), six seasons in F1. Luca Montezemolo made him sign a contract until 2009 for 30.000.000 a year. Actually, Kimi was supposed to be the heir of Mika Hakkinen, the other great Finnish driver, but McLaren had too many ups and downs, and even Iceman's patience had its limit (although he never made a controversy against the team or the mechanics, so much so that Ron Dennis wanted to thank him publicly).
"It’s an honour to be called to Ferrari, my dream was to drive a red car, this is the best moment".
These are the only words given to the media: Räikkönen is indeed a man of great synthesis. A few words, and away from the spotlight as much as possible. But this is only the professional side, the private one is definitely more human, and Vitantonio Liuzzi, a colleague at Scuderia Toro Rosso and a good friend of the Finn, can confirm it without question.
"He’s a real friend, it’s fun to drive around with him".
Räikkönen’s rule is to let the facts speak, relying on the language of the track and the stopwatches. Attacking on the track, elusive in interviews. For example, when asked why he decided to part ways with McLaren, his answer is:
"These things should not interest you, I keep them to myself".
It is only on the timing of a possible future title that he is unbalanced thinking probably of future fans:
"To win a World Championship there are so many things that have to work perfectly. But I am confident".
Coincidences of life, for Ferrari it is a day of round numbers. Michael Schumacher reaches 90 victories, Ferrari celebrates the 190th triumph and then announces its 100th driver, Kimi Räikkönen. President Luca Montezemolo could not, therefore, be absent on this day.
" Normally I limit my presence to Saturday, but this was a special day, so with effort, I wanted to be there".
You did not make it to the podium, though.
"They had asked me to, but it was fairer that the one who represented the team in all the Grands Prix and for the whole season, Jean Todt, should go there".
So the day has come: Michael Schumacher has announced his farewell to racing.
"The pleasure lies in the fact that he was able to make his announcement, difficult after a win in Monza, in front of our public. There couldn’t have been a better setting".
Montezemolo knew all along, of course.
"Michael told me two weeks ago. I am sad and happy".
I'm sorry, why happy?
"Because it was a smart decision. And because it takes intelligence to retire when you're at your top. I told the team we have to do everything we can to allow him to leave as World Champion".
Well, Renault says everything has already been decided.
"They missed a good opportunity to remain silent. And I, at my age, have too much to do to respond".
A veil of sadness enveloped all Ferrari fans.
"It could not be otherwise. Michael meant so much to us".
What was his quality? In which field was he decisive?
"Just remember all the times it was up to him to push the team, always close to them. But there are other things that magnify Michael’s value".
Which ones?
"Let’s take a step back to understand this: since 1996 Ferrari has broken all track records, and has also tripled its sales, expanding worldwide. In all this, there is Schumacher's hand, his contribution. He made history".
A personal memento.
"Suzuka 2000, when we finally returned to win the title after twenty-one years of fasting. But I like to remember Michael’s strength in the tough, critical moments when everyone said he was finished, him and Ferrari".
That is the past. What about the future?
"He’s part of the family. He'll stay with us, he'll make his contribution again. He is an important man in terms of experience and intelligence. But let us reveal it at the end of the year".
Kimi Räikkönen is coming. Tough legacy for the Finn.
"Yes, but ultimately it was Michael who advised us. It happened during a test a few years ago, Schumi noticed this kid on the track and asked the mechanics about this kid who was going fast on the track. The agreement with Kimi dates back about a year, now the hope is that he too can have fun in Ferrari".
In the meantime, we have to win this World Championship.
"And we will do everything in our power. But from Imola onwards, Ferrari has proven to be the best team, a team that has the spirit of those who never give up, made up of exceptional men".
Michael Schumacher still has two points to recover, but Ferrari has overtaken Renault in the constructors' standings.
"Nothing is decided, and we will see what happens. But I want to emphasise - particularly to those who recently said that Michael was making mistakes - to watch this Monza Grand Prix again. His dominance, the continuity of his fast laps. There will never be another driver like that again".
Everyone’s feet on the ground is the order of President Montezemolo. Because, as Michael Schumacher argues, there is work to be done. Better if you can do it in serenity, with a clear head, as the German driver says he feels now, the day after the big announcement of his retirement, on the special Sunday of Monza, the triumph and the emotion, the happiness for the victory and the tears for the long-suffering farewell. There is work to be done and it is clear what Michael Schumacher is referring to, the irresistible desire for a world title, the eighth, the last before giving himself to history, the icon of any book about Formula 1.
"I quit racing, not Ferrari".
The German reiterates, confirming that he wants to accept the proposal of President Montezemolo, that he is tempted by a future role as manager or ambassador, in any case being an integral part of Maranello's red world.
"At the end of the season, you will know, I will reflect and give an answer. All the doors were left open for me, Ferrari will always be my family".
But first, there is a job to finish, for other emotions, for other life choices there will be time at the end of the season. Michael Schumacher is adamant:
"Now my head is focused only on the last three Grands Prix".
A flight in which the German, beyond the two points of disadvantage, appears clearly favoured. Fernando Alonso does not think so, declaring:
"Monza was a good track for Ferrari, so will be Interlagos, the last one, but in China and Japan we at Renault should be faster. It is on these two tracks that we have to close our accounts".
But so do all the others, who are reluctant to support the optimism of the Spaniard. The next Grand Prix scheduled for October 1, 2006, in Shanghai, one of the few tracks (the other being Istanbul) missing from Michael Schumacher's collection of victories, may be an unknown. He has raced in China twice, in 2004 the German (already crowned Champion) made a mistake in qualifying and with a spin put his race on an impossible climb, last year he crashed into the Minardi of Cristjian Albers in the formation lap, ending of a season (the most painful of the eleven in Ferrari) to forget. But the record does not bother him.
"We will do everything we can to make Schumacher leave as World Champion".
Says on Sunday night Jean Todt. Translated, it means new efforts, an unprecedented aerodynamic package that the German will test on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14, September 2006, at Le Castellet, and maybe next week at the Mugello, a further upgraded engine, which, by the way, will have the arduous task of being the engine for the next two years, given that from Shanghai the technological development block imposed by the FIA will come into effect.
New weapons, ordered by Luca Montezemolo, which should allow the definitive leap in quality and propitiate the overtaking of Alonso, possible with a simple victory. Yes, because in the favours granted to Michael Schumacher, there is also the important detail that now the German has reached the Spanish in the tally of wins, six each. This means that in the event of a tie, the driver who has won the most will be favoured and since Michael Schumacher has two points less, it can only be the German if the overtake matures with a triumph in China. It is true that then Alonso will have a chance to come back in Japan, but how can you think the Spaniard is favourite on a track where Schumacher has won six times? Even more so as on Sunday Renault had to live with other fears, the breakdown of the engine on Alonso's car, an identical engine to the one that had failed seven days earlier on Fisichella's car. The French team is worried because this is the engine that will have to be frozen for two years. But the anguish is also immediate because with two drivers almost level on points, a withdrawal can have devastating consequences and the engine has to withstand both China and Japan. Not to mention the risks that are taken in Brazil, a track that strains the engine a lot. Michael Schumacher had a small advantage, he could go into the last race with a new engine, which now, after the break at Monza, will also be possible for Fernando Alonso. Power and rpm at full speed, as befits an exciting sprint. Never would the Spaniard, who has lost 23 points in six races, have thought he would shrink like this. The German sees only one end to his work: the victory of the eighth World Championship. And meanwhile, Fernando Alonso and Flavio Briatore tell tall tales.
"Calciopoli, compared to this, is laughable. At the Tour they disqualified the winner for doping, I say F1 is much worse off. For me, it’s not a sport anymore".
Flavio Briatore and Fernando Alonso leave Monza spewing poison, convinced that they have been transformed by the FIA into lambs to be sacrificed at King Schumacher's glorious farewell. On the day when the first engine explodes in three years of racing at Renault, there is no respect even for the old lion who wins and says goodbye to F1. Michael Schumacher is the enemy. And Flavio Briatore says it clearly:
"I won’t miss Michael at all. He’s been helped a lot this year".
Fernando Alonso joins in:
"His retirement does not upset me. Sure, he leaves at the right time, after breaking all the records. But let’s be clear that this World Championship does not depend on us drivers, but on the decisions of the FIA".
One breathes air from a besieged fortress, with responses like boiling oil. Briatore raises his arms:
"The flight? But what a final rush, the title has already been awarded".
The diplomatic offensive started early in the morning, in the Renault motorhome, where together with Pat Symonds, the technical director, Briatore showed the video of the interference that led to the penalty of Fernando Alonso.
"We don’t judge, just look at the footage. The regulation speaks of deliberate disturbance to result in a penalty. You tell me. Winning the World Championship like this will be a miracle, we are fighting against the system".
The exit of Fernando Alonso, third with ten laps to go, amplifies the bitterness. The Spaniard says:
"Many people will be happy, but the race was rigged from the start. But I’m calm, the car is very strong, we’ll win".
Flavio Briatore is much less bold:
"I see Todt with his arms up, but what victory is that?"
Off he goes, striding, dark mood, heedless of the latest rumour that the Ferrari tyres are under scrutiny by the FIA.
"Oh, really? We did not make the complaint".
Flavio Briatore is far away when Jean Todt, in the evening, turns up the heat:
"Unfortunately money and fame do not teach education and humility. We respect our opponents, but they have neither the elegance nor the spirit to recognise our potential. That's where they're weak. I could say that Renault has taken advantage of the mass damper, which is illegal, for a number of races. I could say that Massa came ninth because he was penalised by Alonso. We did not complain".
Accusations fly, and heavy ones too:
"They say there is a Renault dossier on our tyres? Let's not talk bullshit. If they have it, they should present it to the FIA".