Having absorbed the shock, the Ferrari world is now seeking at least some answers. The incriminated engine of the 248 F1, the one that practically denied Michael Schumacher the 2006 World Championship victory, will arrive in Maranello during the day on Tuesday, October 10, 2006. Only in the afternoon, engineers and mechanics will inspect it to at least understand the reason for the breakdown, even though the diagnosis will not repair the damages. Luca Colajanni explains:
"Only today we will know more, but we know that the area of the engine involved in the problem is at the top, and therefore this automatically rules out a piston problem, perhaps, but I repeat perhaps, a valve issue".
So, a malfunction at the distribution level (pneumatic system or camshaft). The mystery will soon be cleared up, but there are even those who claim that, at the origin of the stop in lap 37, there may be a human error: meaning that Schumacher could have pressed the button that allows the engine to go into an extra high-speed mode for a limited time (usually used for overtaking) just after making the pit stop, and therefore with the Ferrari not yet in an optimal situation for oil temperature. A hypothesis, knowing Schumacher, purely technical and academic. Meanwhile, life goes on in Maranello. On Monday, the usual post-Grand Prix meeting takes place, attended by President Luca Montezemolo, who, while proud of the comeback achieved, reminds that perhaps more effort should have been made on reliability and, in any case, there should be no giving up in view of Brazil. Ferrari's goal is a one-two finish for Schumacher's grand finale and the final assault on the Constructors' World Championship. And that the team is not idle is demonstrated by the tests carried out in Jerez de la Frontera by Badoer and Genè, later joined by Schumacher himself. Meanwhile, there is also talk about the future: Montezemolo takes the opportunity to approach the new setup, a topic that will be developed from late October onwards. On the eve of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher looks at the São Paulo circuit and officially confirms his thoughts:
"I have one chance in a hundred. I no longer believe in the Driver's title".
Superstition? Perhaps healthy realism; Schumacher lost everything in Suzuka, betrayed by a valve.
"Fernando only needs one point, which means he can stroll around the track without taking unnecessary risks".
No tricks or low blows, but the first not to believe it is Bernie Ecclestone:
"Michael will be very fair, fairer than he has ever been in his life. Besides, his records will certainly not be overshadowed, and possible successors will have to work hard for a long time".
In any case, Schumacher will retire with a fortune of €596.000.000, an average of about €40.000.000 per season since 1991. And even the next season, despite the retirement, will be a lucrative one: he should still receive €27.000.000 thanks to the advertising contracts that will remain in force. Speaking of 2007: the FIA has officially released the calendar, and for now, Imola remains out of F1. There are also other news, starting with the tests: on Fridays, teams can use engines as they wish without penalties in the event of a breakage. Then, during the race, in the event of accidents with the entry of the Safety Car, no one can return to the pits for refuelling (thus avoiding clever moves). Finally, the sole supplier for tyres is confirmed: it will be Bridgestone.
"Enjoy my last race, I will entertain you".
A solemn message, Michael Schumacher promises a show before the final farewell on an eve that cannot be like the others because it is the last after fifteen years of terrifying dominance. He leaves as the Pelé of Formula 1, as O’Rey himself defined it, ready on Sunday to be rewarded for his extraordinary career. It is a different eve, and the driver's face shows it. Tense smiles, the emotion that sometimes surfaces:
"I try not to think about the fact that this will be my last race, but it's the truth, and sometimes a strange sensation overwhelms me. I would like to go out in style. I want to win and allow Ferrari to triumph in the Constructors' Championship. This team has given me so much; it deserves one last gift".
Regarding his world title chances, he does not want to delude himself, continuing to prefer the term utopia over the word dream.
"It's hard to think that Alonso won't score points, and I don't even want to wish that. I don't like betting on others' misfortunes; I have never done that".
Better to avoid absurd hopes, concentrate on one's own performance, and try to give one last artistic touch, then ensure that Formula 1 will survive even without him.
"Ferrari will miss me, and I will miss Ferrari, but they will win anyway. This sport will continue to be exciting. I will watch the Grands Prix on TV, and I am convinced they will still excite me".
He enjoys the irony about Barrichello, which is rampant here. The satirical show Panico has invented the Rubens Turtle. They deliver it to him, and he puts his hat on it. Then they joke: what if one morning he woke up with Barrichello's face? And Schumacher, laughing:
"I would rub my eyes".
Then the inevitable torment: why did you decide to retire?
"Because there comes a time when a battery runs out, and I was no longer sure I could recharge it. The decision is made, and I assure you I won't go back".
Today he challenges him, tomorrow he imitates him. Alonso versus Schumacher, for one last time. Yet they are closer than they think, the young and the old, more than they themselves want to admit. Not in the driving style, perhaps not that. But in everything else, in behaviour on and off the track, the Spaniard follows the imaginary line dictated by the German. The similarities? Here is the list ready: mentally strong, clear-headed always, aggressive behind the wheel, disciplined and respectful of the rules, strenuous defenders of privacy, shielded in their households. They even share a common phobia, the fear of crowds. They go crazy with too many people around; they feel surrounded. Fernando Alonso may not be Schumacher's heir (in reality, no one can be), but the Spaniard really is the most suitable driver for the post-Schumacher Formula 1. Where can another driver be found, so similar to Schumacher? A type born old, a guy who learned the rules of the game early on, watched and absorbed like a sponge.
"In F1, you have to know how to navigate between fiction and reality. Otherwise, one day you're on top, and another in the dust".
No reverential fears, like young Michael. Who, in 1994, took the place of a legend, Ayrton Senna. Now, in 2006, Fernando is about to give Schumi a taste of his own medicine. Indeed, he even finds time to joke about it:
"I will go down in history, whatever happens here in Brazil. Why? For three good reasons: I will have been the last to have challenged Schumi. Perhaps the last to have beaten him. Instead, if I lose, I will become famous for having lost a championship in the last race with a ten-point lead. Go and check the records, and see how many cases you find".
In the game of similarities, Alonso and Schumacher also share the discoverer, Flavio Briatore, who brought the German to Benetton (two world titles won as a complete outsider). Briatore also discovered the Spaniard, leading him to an almost double triumph. And both drivers then left him, with Schumacher going to Ferrari and Alonso preferring McLaren. Similar in finding new challenges, new stimuli. And future opportunities. See Schumacher, and what he has become driving for Ferrari. A future that the Spaniard imagines for himself at McLaren.
"There have been differences of opinion that never healed".
Finally, says Fernando, explaining the divorce. Always a step ahead of other drivers: one eye on the title, another on the future.
"Now I feel the same motivation I had at nineteen when I started with Minardi".
Like Schumacher, Alonso speaks frankly. The FIA has not forgotten his words, especially after penalising decisions.
"But it's the track that decides, and between Schumacher and the FIA, I'm afraid of Schumacher".
He then adds:
"Everything I say, I always confirm, and it's only a part of what I think. There's still more to add".
Tough until the end, that is how champions are made. To Schumi, who never showed regrets for an alternative life, Alonso adds:
"Nothing to envy about the other young people of my generation. You can be happy anywhere".
In many similarities, there is a divergence, and it concerns longevity: Schumacher ends, and he wanted to think about it for a long time, at 37. Here, the young Fernando will not follow.
"F1 is my job, not my life. I can't see myself driving at 37. I started at 18; I wouldn't wish twenty years of Formula 1 on anyone".
On Friday, October 20, 2006, there is no way to tempt him.
"I don't look to the heavens praying for Alonso's retirement, I don't pray to God for others' misfortunes. I just rely on my strengths. I want to finish beautifully, win this race, and give Ferrari the Constructor's championship, but about the Driver's title, I'm tired of repeating myself: it's not realistic to dream about it, there's nothing more to be done".
Schumacher does not fall for it. The last Friday of his career is over, and the refrain is always the same. He does not want to tarnish his image right at the end, staying far away from any controversy. Even if his statements dampen the hopes of fans, he does not want to curse his great rival, Alonso. In Brazil, in the land of macumba, some sorcerer might willingly offer his services, but Schumacher is too absorbed in his role as a legend to slip just steps away from the finish line.
"Formula 1 is not made for miracles; achievements are possible, but one must never lose touch with reality. Beating Renault, bringing the Constructor's championship to Maranello is feasible. I believe in it, and I hope some team helps us by putting their cars between us and those of Alonso and Fisichella. We need it because our one-two alone is not enough. The first signs are encouraging; my car responds well, the Toyotas with Trulli and my brother Ralf were fast, even Honda and McLaren could have a good race. But these first free practices also show that Alonso is very close to me, ten hundredths, and I'm honest, even this doesn't surprise me. I expected a minimal gap, which is why I still say that the battle for the Driver's title is over".
The variable of reliability remains, the only uncertainty to hold on to. Schumacher (sixth at the end of the second hour of practice) does not pray, but the same great shiver runs down Alonso's spine (tenth). In the bench tests, Renault had noticed that something was wrong with the engine of his car, hence the decision to change it a few minutes before the start of free practice. A suitable choice because it allows the Spaniard not to incur penalties, avoid a ten-place grid penalty (which would have happened if the engine had broken during one of the two sessions), and race in absolute safety. However, the alarm bell remains, the demonstration that something can always go wrong, and Schumacher is wise, beyond his ecumenical statements, all marked by a healthy goodwill towards his rival, not to give up. At the same time, those who love Renault could dwell on Schumacher's off-track excursion in the middle of the second session, an off-road excursion that put the German and his Ferrari to the test. But King Michael is quick to downplay this inconvenience:
"Nothing serious happened, just a problem with traction control. It was poorly adjusted and made the car skid. I don't think such a problem can happen again in the race".
They cannot afford a retirement like that. Because beyond the probably lost championship, Schumacher has gathered all the people who matter in his life (apart from his two children), his father Rolf, his wife Corinna, and his dearest friends.
"It's my last race, and on Sunday night I want to organise a big party. I'm happy that all the people who love me are here".
An elegant way to say thank you, as BMW did yesterday with big writings on the rear wing, Danke Michael, in German on the cars of compatriots Heidfeld and Vettel, and Thank You in English on the car of the Pole Kubica. A gesture that struck Schumacher.
"In the car, I felt the same as usual. I don't want to think about the fact that I'm about to end, but that thought moved me. I have to finish in style; it's really necessary".
Perhaps it is really time to stop. Because Michael Schumacher in his career, besides being incredibly skilled, had always been lucky. Now he seems haunted by bad luck. At Suzuka, the broken engine in the race that sent his title dreams up in smoke, on Saturday, October 21, 2006, the fuel pump in qualifying humiliates his hopes of getting pole position, irreparably marking, probably, the race as well. An inconvenience related to fuel supply, the fuel that does not arrive, the car that cannot run around the track, cannot make him go fast, cannot put him ahead of his rival Alonso. In the race, Schumacher will replace the part; according to the regulations, he can do so.
Fate is cruel, right at the beginning of Q3, the one that defines the starting grid. Schumacher is powerless; he can only surrender, slow down, and return to the pits. Anxious, but he has to watch as his mechanics frantically move in front of the car and try to remedy the fault. There is nothing to be done; the crucial quarter of an hour quickly fades away: Schumacher does not return to the track and will start from the fifth row. Music to the ears of the cautious Alonso, more hesitant than usual, not aggressive, fourth in the end, the dirty side of the second row. He candidly states:
"Starting in front of Schumacher is a dream; now everything becomes easier. For me, it will be a calm race, without worries. The path to the second world title is downhill; I can even try to win".
Danger averted because Schumacher is in trouble: he will start in the middle of the group. Even Briatore acknowledges that his trouble is a stroke of luck for Renault. So be it if Massa sends the Brazilian crowd into a frenzy, if he gets the third pole of the season with Ferrari, all seized in the last five races if, with his perfect lap and the relative roar of the grandstands, he becomes the natural favourite for today's race. Briatore is not greedy:
"For us, this feat by Massa makes everything simpler. How can it help Schumacher now, betraying the expectations of his people? We would like to win the race and prevent him from celebrating, but if the German stays behind, that's fine too. We'll take home two World Championships".
Including that Constructor's title worth 40.000.000 euros. Alonso rejoices, the entire Renault team is happy, Massa, wrapped in his special suit, not Ferrari red but yellow and green as the Brazilian flag, is the picture of happiness. Only Schumacher is sad; the last Sunday of his career starts uphill.
"I'll give it my all, but you have to be realistic. Starting from the fifth row, winning is almost impossible. I'll try to get as many points as possible, but for the Constructors' World Championship: that for the drivers, if there were any doubts, is now gone. I'm sorry to end like this, the broken engine in Japan, the fuel problem in Brazil, but these are troubles that can happen to a Formula 1 car. What did I feel in those moments as I stood in the pits and watched my mechanics? It's not hard to guess; I felt powerless and frustrated, but I have a lot of experience, and I know that all this can happen. Too bad, right at the beginning of the last battle for the pole, after we had been the fastest all weekend. The only consolation is Massa's pole. He's Brazilian; he got it in front of his people. I understand what emotion he can feel. I saw the crowd cheering, and I believe he got chills. I hope he wins the race; he deserves it".
The handover. And it is curious to note that in the front row next to today's Ferrari driver is tomorrow's, Räikkönen. The great old man says goodbye today; Pelé will also thank him. It is right for Ferrari to be sad, but about tomorrow, they can afford to smile. Schumacher does not promise miracles, and he will hardly perform them. Massa, on the other hand, guarantees feats to somehow spoil Alonso's great Sunday. Trulli would also like to rejoice in the crowd, starting third. With the first podium of his troubled season. On Sunday, October 22, 2006, at the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Felipe Massa retained his lead going into the first corner, ahead of Kimi Räikkönen and Jarno Trulli. Championship-elect Fernando Alonso kept his fourth position despite a challenge around the outside of the first corner by Rubens Barrichello's Honda. Michael Schumacher had a decent start from his 10th position on the grid and was on the inside of the two BMW Saubers going into the first corner, but had to back off to avoid a collision. His apparently much quicker Ferrari allowed him to pass both BMWs three corners later as they were slowed by Robert Kubica overtaking teammate Nick Heidfeld on the back straight.
A little further behind, the two Williams-Cosworths collided as Nico Rosberg hit the back of Mark Webber's car going into turn 4. Both cars were severely damaged, with Webber retiring at the end of the lap with a missing rear wing. Rosberg, in turn, had another high-speed crash on the uphill main straight: he lost grip and spun heavily into the wall, due to the damage sustained in the earlier contact with his teammate. Rosberg was unhurt, but the scattered debris on the track led to the safety car being deployed to allow for the track to be cleaned. Before the safety car came out, Barrichello's Honda was overtaken on the outside into turn 1 by Giancarlo Fisichella. As the safety car picked up the field at the end of lap 2, Massa was leading Räikkönen, Trulli, and Alonso, with Fisichella and Michael Schumacher moving up to 5th and 6th respectively. Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Kubica, and Button completed the top ten, Button having taken advantage of the two Williams retiring and having passed Heidfeld and Pedro de la Rosa. The restart took place on lap six and saw Button move past Kubica on the inside as the two crossed the line only 0.038secs apart. Michael Schumacher was also soon to attack Fisichella's Renault, forcing the Italian to protect the inside line in turns 4 and 5. On the following lap, Button went past Ralf Schumacher up to 8th while Massa was pulling away comfortably from his pursuers at the front. His teammate Schumacher tried to move past Fisichella around the outside on the main straight. But Fisichella put up a fight, staying on the inside on the entry into the first corner. Schumacher aggressively cut across to the inside into the first corner, trying to force Fisichella to back off. Fisichella tried to avoid contact by moving onto the kerb, but his front wing appeared to make very light contact with the Ferrari's left rear tyre. Indeed, Schumacher's car began to slide violently in the next corner as his tyre deflated, forcing the German to drive the entire lap at a significantly reduced speed and to see the entire field move past him in the process. The Ferrari team took eleven seconds to change all four tyres - taking the opportunity to add fuel as well. When Schumacher rejoined, he was only a few seconds in front of his teammate Massa, thus being almost a lap down on the race leader. The two Ferraris proceeded to post the quickest lap times with Massa comfortably increasing his gap to Räikkönen in second, while the Toyotas hit trouble with first Ralf Schumacher and then Jarno Trulli retiring in the pits on lap 10.
This means that the order on lap 11 was: first Massa, second Räikkönen, third Alonso, fourth Fisichella, fifth Barrichello, sixth Button, seventh Kubica, eighth de la Rosa, ninth Heidfeld, tenth Scott Speed, eleventh Vitantonio Liuzzi, twelfth David Coulthard, thirteenth Takuma Satō, fourteenth Christijan Albers, fifteenth Sakon Yamamoto, sixteenth Robert Doornbos, seventeenth Tiago Monteiro and eighteenth and last Michael Schumacher's Ferrari. The race then settled into a steady pattern with the Ferraris still quickest and Alonso closing to within two seconds of Räikkönen's McLaren. Coulthard retired his Red Bull Ferrari with mechanical problems on lap 14. The first planned pitstops took place on lap 21 with Räikkönen, Fisichella, and Barrichello all coming in for fuel and tyres. Fisichella's stop was slightly slower than Barrichello's, which nearly resulted in a collision as the two exited the pitlane - the Renault driver only just maintained his position. They reemerged on the track seventh, eighth, and ninth respectively, just behind de la Rosa and Heidfeld who had been fighting for eighth place with Heidfeld quicker in the corners but unable to match McLaren's straight-line speed. Massa finished within a couple of seconds of lapping his teammate, setting a fastest lap of 1:12.8 before pitting on lap 23 at which point he had a 15-second gap to Alonso in second. Massa was stationary for just over 8 seconds and rejoined in third behind Button who was now in second despite having started fourteenth. Button pitted on the next lap, his 7.9-second stop allowing him to rejoin in seventh comfortably ahead of Fisichella and Barrichello. Alonso made his stop on the following lap and was able to rejoin just in front of Räikkönen but still behind de la Rosa and Heidfeld. Kubica then pitted from second position on lap 26 and dropped to ninth. His teammate followed suit on lap 27 falling behind the two Toro Rosso in the process just as Button was able to get a slipstream from Räikkönen and outbrake him into turn one. Massa led by 17 seconds in front of de la Rosa, who would not stop until 8 laps later. Alonso, Button, and Räikkönen followed with a small gap back to Fisichella and Barrichello. Michael Schumacher had moved up to thirteenth courtesy of pitstops by the Aguris and on lap 31, he moved past Doornbos and closed on Liuzzi who had just been involved in an incident with Heidfeld, whom he had steered into just as Heidfeld was overtaking the Italian into turn 1. The BMW driver's front wing suffered some damage from the contact but he was able to carry on. Liuzzi then pitted leaving Schumacher eleventh and just 3 seconds behind Heidfeld.
They both advanced one position on lap 33 as Scott Speed also pitted in his Toro Rosso. Up front, Massa was still pulling away, now 23 seconds in front of de la Rosa, Alonso, Button, and Räikkönen, who were all still very close together. De la Rosa pitted on lap 35 for his one and only pitstop (10.8s) dropping to tenth. Schumacher easily passed Heidfeld for ninth on the following lap, and Heidfeld was forced into the pits again on lap 38 to have the damaged front wing replaced, dropping him out of any contention for the points. Barrichello was first into the pits when the second and last round of regular pitstops began on lap 46. His stop lasted 8.3 seconds. Schumacher followed on lap 47 having driven 36 laps since his first unscheduled stop. He rejoined in eighth just between Barrichello and the one-stopping de la Rosa. Fisichella did his stop (7.2s) on lap 49. Button was into the pits (7.3s) on the following lap while Schumacher effortlessly passed Barrichello on the inside of the main straight. Räikkönen was the next man to pit, rejoining in fourth - only just behind Button, who was busy lapping Yamamoto and the Spykers. Leader Massa made his stop on lap 52 and rejoined still in front of second-placed Alonso, who also kept his position after he came in two laps later (6.8s). Schumacher was now beginning to look threatening to the second Renault of Fisichella, and this was significant for the Constructors' Championship - if the Ferraris can finish first and second and the Renaults only third and sixth, the two teams would finish equal on points but with Ferrari in front on race victories. With 15 laps to go, Schumacher was under half a second behind Fisichella as they came across the line with Räikkönen only a few seconds further in front. The Renault seemed able to match the Ferrari's impressive straight-line speed and Schumacher was unable to overtake as easily as he had done with other cars. A thrilling battle ensued as Fisichella defended valiantly, but on lap 62 he braked too late into Turn 1 and his Renault took to the grass, allowing Schumacher to take the position. Fisichella was only just able to rejoin in front of Barrichello. Schumacher then closed in on fourth-placed Räikkönen who had been dropping back slightly from Button and Alonso. On lap 64, Nick Heidfeld's race was over as his BMW's rear suspension failed at the end of the main straight. Waved yellow flags in Turn 1 prevented Schumacher from overtaking Räikkönen on the usual overtaking spot, but Räikkönen made a slight mistake in the hairpin turn 10 and Schumacher pulled even with the Finn in the inferior McLaren.
Schumacher was on the outside for the next turn, however, and had to back off, losing some ground in the process. With four laps to go, Schumacher was ready to attack again, but Räikkönen defended brilliantly against superior machinery by taking the inside line for the first turn. The following lap, Schumacher was even closer, drafting behind the McLaren on the main straight. Räikkönen tried to fend off the charging Ferrari and again took to the inside, but this time Schumacher was so much quicker he managed to pull alongside, finding just enough space between the McLaren and the pit wall. The two cars went through turn one side by side, but Räikkönen finally had to give way into turn 2 as Schumacher forced him onto the dirty line of the circuit. A memorable race, even though the lowest step of the podium remains a dream. Schumacher's last Sunday was a collage of emotions and spectacle, determination and misfortune, breathtaking overtakes and touching kisses, pats on the back from friends, career awards from prestigious hands like Pelé's, sincere applause from the Brazilian audience - here, the German has always been considered a hero and the true heir to Senna - and even from those who watched him from home, glued to the TV. Once again, as it happened in Suzuka, where the Ferrari engine failure had dashed his championship dreams, Schumacher paid a high price for bad luck. On Saturday, it was the fuel pump that betrayed him, later replaced by Ferrari for the race. During the race, it was the left rear tyre, destroyed by contact with Fisichella, that rendered any miracle futile. The German, who all morning had tried to consider normal a day that would instead be unforgettable, had set off like a torpedo. From tenth to eighth in a few corners, seventh at the end of the first lap, and sixth at the second crossing of the finish line. An unstoppable force, halted only by the entry of the Safety Car, which lines up all the drivers in a single file at the beginning of the third lap. Who knows at what pace Schumacher would have marched; instead, for a while, he has to restrain his eager spirits. Inside, he has an intense desire to leave his mark for the last time. So, on lap 7, with the Safety Car just back in the pits, he immediately attacks Fisichella's Renault. The first attempt fails, but a lap later, the manoeuvre is successful, and his race begins to take on the contours of apotheosis. However, bad luck disrupts everything: at turn 2 on lap 9, Schumacher realises he has a punctured tyre, a result of the contact with the Roman driver, and his left rear tyre has got the worst of it.
Schumacher has to return to the pits; they refuel, change the tyre, and his fifth position turns into a depressing twentieth. He is forced to start over, and an ordinary driver, with teammate Massa flying to victory and rival Alonso towards the second championship title, would probably tell everyone to go to hell and head for the shower. But Schumacher has never been just an ordinary driver; he quits precisely because he fears he might become one someday. He returns to the track like a man possessed, relentlessly breaking the wall of fast laps with his hammer. Every lap is a spectacle; if he finds someone ahead, he overtakes with ridiculous ease. Rookie drivers like Albers, Yamamoto, Liuzzi, Doornbos, Speed, Satō, and Monteiro, and even Heidfeld had to bow to his fury on lap 36, followed by Kubica with the other BMW on lap 40 and again on lap 41. This farewell performance of the driver is truly ungrateful; he passes over both with the ferocity of a tank. For a moment, the tornado stops; he has to return to the pits for the second refuelling, but then the frenetic dance resumes. He passes Barrichello (lap 51, gaining sixth position), then Fisichella (lap 63, now fifth), until the last burst, lap 69, the overtake on Räikkönen, the driver who will replace him at Ferrari next year. The handover is clear: Look, you may be coming, but until my last race, I have been the strongest. Ferrari mechanics in the pits cheer like mad, amused, excited, for all these memorable manoeuvres (the last overtake is on the inside, a few centimetres from the wall). Schumacher's wish would be for this race never to end. He is fourth; he can no longer catch Button, Alonso, or Massa. He could relax, but instead, on lap 70, he sets the fastest lap of the race. A crescendo that will remain in the eyes of all fans, while Massa waves his Brazilian flag immediately after the finish (he is the first to win at home since Senna), and Alonso screams his joy like a madman. But the true hero is him, Schumacher, in his final act. Who knows what was in that muesli eaten for breakfast, or maybe the elixir was in the tea, but the strength he has shown is still extraordinary. Friends suffocate him with hugs, proud father Rolf puffs out his chest - he has given the world an irreplaceable talent with the late mother Elisabeth - his wife Corinna kisses him, and all the guests at the farewell party crown him. There is a bit of emotion inside the Ferrari pits; then the screams begin. The mechanics gave him a photo of a pit stop with the words:
"You're one of us".
Michael looks at it, thanks them, and attention, and a tear might appear. But here comes Massa, a man with a sacred fire inside, who feels like he is on cloud nine right now. Schumacher, what do you do at this point? Obviously, you join the party. He has been part of Ferrari, his world for many years. The team will miss him a lot, but he vowed:
"I will never forget it".
Even with beer and caipirinha in his system, at the Fasano restaurant party that lasted all night. After all, he can afford it; from today, he is an ex. Already missed. On the other side, Fernando Alonso makes no grand gestures or flamboyant things. He only does two things, the confirmed World Champion, immediately celebrated by all Spanish websites. On the podium, he limits himself to the ceremony and the customary champagne sprayed on the team. Then he thanks Briatore, Fisichella, tester Kovalainen, engineers, and mechanics, almost kneeling, pointing to them repeatedly. But what Alonso really wants to do is talk about the FIA and pay tribute to Michael Schumacher. So, the controversy. In the classic message in Spanish, the World Champion takes a swipe at the Federation, almost wanting to say to everyone that the final word belongs to the drivers:
"Time has done justice. This year has been a lesson for everything that happened, for the strange and incomprehensible decisions that were made. Many decisions that I will never forget. I believe that Renault has given a great demonstration of sportsmanship, enduring as it has all the things it has suffered and facing any situation in the right way".
Then, the tribute. The shadow of King Michael Schumacher is no more; the stage is all Fernando Alonso's. Who, in his own way, had already paid homage to the German before the race: during the week, he left him all the media space and, on the eve, showed an unexpected irony for a driver in the fight for the championship title:
"I hope Michael wins the Grand Prix, but not because I was forced to retire. And, if he comes up behind me, I'll let him pass easily".
The tribute continued at the end of the race:
"He was so close in the race. I think it was nice to fight and compete with him. I've always said that winning and becoming world champion with Michael Schumacher on the track would have had a higher value, and for this, I am happy to have won with him present. I think I can say on behalf of everyone that it was a pleasure to have competed with him, and I wish him all the best for his new family life".
The Renault party will still be somewhat diminished because Alonso will take the number one car elsewhere, to McLaren:
"Where I hope to have a good car".
The French are left with the consolation of winning the Constructors' World Championship, the last goal Ferrari was aiming for. But Briatore is likely to regret it next year because Alonso is on the path to greatness, as some paddock specialists have predicted. In this year, he has grown, both as a driver and, above all, as a man. It was not easy for him to reconfirm himself in a team he knew he was leaving at the end of the year, adding to the breakup with Briatore. Instead, he proved everyone wrong, dispelled doubts. He put on his helmet, went into the trenches, and fortified his clan.
"Friends are seen in difficult times, and those are the ones you can talk to about everything. I have very good ones. But very few".
Focused on the goal, Alonso let the rest go.
"Does my public image correspond to reality? No. People only see me on television. Can you evaluate, judge a person seen on television?"
So the conclusion can only be:
"I want to be remembered for the victories I have achieved. It's the only reason people remember us".
The best purchase of 2007 is, therefore, McLaren's, which hired a tough guy who managed to push football to page eight in Spanish newspapers when he won his first title in 2005. A guy who, for a few months, has been smoothing out the edges, and improving social relations. And in this slow process, there could only be the hand of a woman, that of his girlfriend. Raquel del Rosario, a fairly successful pop singer he met by chance while participating in a TV sports show. Raquel, they say, is becoming more and more the centre of Alonso's life and the director of his life. Once again, a similarity with Schumacher, who has always had support and energy in his wife Corinna. And perhaps it is not a coincidence that to replace the Great Record Holder, is F1’s most precocious driver. And, meanwhile, thirteen years after Ayrton Senna, a Brazilian wins again in São Paulo. Rubens Barrichello could not do it; Felipe Massa did it in his first season with Ferrari.
"The most beautiful day of my life, the dream becoming reality".
In tears, moved, Massa thrilled the seventy thousand fans at Interlagos.
"Wonderful: hearing my name shouted, cheering for me, seeing the flags for me. Dancing samba, jumping. Unforgettable, I enjoyed every moment. In the end, I turned around to look at the stands, the grandstands. It was too beautiful".
The joy is in the story, more than in the technical analysis of the race, defined by the protagonist himself:
"The easiest race of my life. I didn't have to do anything but control the situation, and I didn't even have to push too hard".
Credit goes to the driver, but also to the team.
"What can I say? It's my first year with Ferrari; finally, I could drive a competitive car. A fantastic, perfect car. But I'm happy because I won my home Grand Prix, something only drivers who have won at home can understand. For me, it was a great gift, the most beautiful day of my life".
After the celebration, there is also room for fair play. The young Brazilian gives credit to Alonso and Renault:
"It's right to say they deserved it because they started the season strong, and that was the key to managing the rest of the year until the end. But I think we deserve some credit too".
Regrets are for the points lost between March and May:
"At the beginning, we struggled, but then we did a fantastic job, working hard together and pushing all the time".
Next year, his teammate will change; there will be no more Schumacher. The long embrace between the two confirms their great personal relationship.
"I will miss him a lot, very much. Because Michael is truly a friend, he has always thought positively of me and wanted me in the Maranello team. Believe me, he is an exceptional person and very, very special to me".
Schumacher, how do you find the courage to retire after such a race?
"I think I did well, but I haven’t changed my mind. If people think that someone makes such a big decision and then questions it after a month, they are wrong. I've made up my mind, I've announced it, and that's that. This is my last race".
So will you feel sad?
"Why should I be? I have lived through a wonderful era. If I hadn't understood that the time had come to stop, I would have kept racing. If I hadn't decided to stop, I could be sad now. But I was the arbiter of my destiny. And I have no regrets".
Is there at least something about this day that generates some regrets?
"The fact of not going on the podium. I would have preferred a better ending. Our speed here was impressive; we could have lapped everyone. We reached the end of the season in wonderful shape, as Massa shows. I'm happy for him; he is the first Brazilian to win here since Senna. He deserves such satisfaction. In the last two races, on the other hand, things didn't go very well for me. I had a lot of bad luck. In the past, it usually wasn't like that, but I know that everything is part of racing".
Why did your tyre puncture?
"On the track, I didn't notice anything, but they told me from the pit that it was Fisichella. We certainly touched, and at turn 2, my tyre had a deep cut. Too bad, that inconvenience definitively ruined my race".
But then an incredible comeback happened. The last overtake is against Räikkönen, the driver who will replace you at Ferrari. How did it feel to pass him?
"No special effect. It's true; next year he will race in my place. I hope he can win many races for Ferrari".
How much will you miss Formula 1?
"At this moment, I can't say; it's too early. Until two weeks ago, I was fighting for the world title, focused on my battle with Alonso; I just finished a race. I haven't thought about what I'll do in the coming months. I want to reflect, and think. But first, I want to relax. And even before that, I want to celebrate, with my wife Corinna, my father Rolf, all my friends. The night is young; we'll have fun".
There is one date, however, that cannot fail to come to mind. What will you do on a Sunday in March 2007?
"Do you mean the day of the first race? I will sit in front of the TV and hope to have fun".
Does it mean you will also watch Formula 1 without Schumacher?
"Why not? I will watch the Grands Prix; I hope they are exciting, with many overtakes".
How much will you miss Ferrari?
"The guys moved me. They gave me a photo, and it said: You are one of us. It's a phrase I will never forget".
How much does it weigh on you to leave them?
"It's clear that I'm a bit sorry; the atmosphere in Ferrari is unique. I'm proud to have been part of this team, and to have helped them win so much. But it's not a farewell because my friendship with them doesn't end. The relationship continues, it will never die".
How would you define your last day in Formula 1?