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Michael Schumacher won Sunday's Italian Grand Prix in commanding style to reduce title rival and defending champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso's lead to just two points.
Alonso was forced to retire after 44 laps of the 53-lap race when his Renault engine blew up and this left Schumacher, already leading comfortably, with a straightforward run to the flag.
Alonso had been forced to start from 10th on the grid after being penalised by the race stewards and fought his way through to third before he dropped out. Schumacher started second and secured the lead after the first round of pitstops and then stayed there in his Ferrari throughout the second half of a largely processional race.
German Schumacher, 37, came home first for his 90th career win with a comfortable lead ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen who finished second for McLaren Mercedes-Benz. Poland's Robert Kubica secured his first podium finish by taking third place for Sauber BMW.
Italian Giancarlo Fisichella finished fourth for Renault, Briton Jenson Button was fifth for Honda ahead of his teammate Brazilian Rubens Barrichello. Italian Jarno Trulli came home seventh in a Toyota and German Nick Heidfeld was eighth in the second BMW.
In the drivers' championship, Schumacher moved to within two points of Alonso. The Spaniard now has 108 points and Schumacher 106 with three races remaining in China, Japan and Brazil.
For the German, it means an extraordinary eighth title now beckons if he can maintain his competitive edge despite all the high speculation surrounding his future.
After a bright morning of warm sunshine and packed news conferences in a frenzied paddock, the race began in dry and hot conditions. The air temperature was 28 degrees Celsius and the track temperature was 41 as Finn Kimi Raikkonen made a clean getaway from the 11th pole position of his career in his McLaren Mercedes-Benz.
Behind him, Nick Heidfeld in his BMW Sauber managed to pull ahead of fellow German Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari on the run into the first chicane, but the 37-year-old seven-time champion driver showed all his experience and pedigree as he recovered his place in the run through the Curva Grande.
As the field battled for places at this stage, it was Poland's Robert Kubica who showed up as the big winner having swept through from sixth on the grid to take third place in the second BMW ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa in his Ferrari and Briton Jenson Button in a Honda.
Alonso, who had been dropped from fifth to 10th on the grid overnight by the stewards' decision that deprived him of his three best qualifying times in the final session, for allegedly blocking Massa, managed to claim seventh on the opening lap and then take sixth by passing Heidfeld early on lap two with a questionable move - cutting out the first chicane to gain his advantage.
After this, there was precious little to report as the field settled into a high speed procession until the first pit stops began, save for the sight of Nico Rosberg of Germany retiring his Williams with what looked like engine failure.
Raikkonen reeled off several fastest laps before he pitted after 15 laps as leader, leaving Schumacher to inherit the front position ahead of Kubica who became the first Pole to lead a Grand Prix when the seven-times champion himself pitted two laps later.
By the time Kubica himself pitted, after 22 laps, the picture was changed again and Schumacher led, having taken advantage of the opportunity presented by the stops to pass Raikkonen in the way only he can, with the Finn second behind by 2.3 seconds.
Heidfeld's incident-filled day continued as he climbed back to fifth and pitted during which he broke the pit-lane speed limit for which, soon afterwards, he was handed a 'drive through' penalty.
For Renault, it was also a difficult day. On top of Alonso's struggles, Italian Giancarlo Fisichella was unable to make any real impression after starting ninth. He ran third before his first pit stop and then dropped away again.
By the half-way stage, at the end of lap 27, Schumacher had opened up a 2.4 seconds lead on Raikkonen who in turn was a further 17.8 seconds ahead of Kubica. This meant the field behind was held up, led by Brazilian Rubens Barrichello in his Honda, Massa and Italian Jarno Trulli's Toyota. Alonso was trapped in seventh place.
Schumacher continued to lead and open up a gap on Raikkonen. By lap 30, it was 3.2 seconds and Alonso was sixth, nearly 30 seconds off the leader's pace. But when Barrichello pitted, Alonso climbed to fifth, albeit behind Massa.
Raikkonen began the second round of stops after 38 laps, Schumacher followed one lap later and then Alonso, Kubica and Button pitted together, the first two racing out of pit-lane side by side afterwards. The outcome was that Alonso secured third place on the track, albeit briefly.
The Spaniard's emotional charge came to an end on lap 44 when, chasing Schumacher and Raikkonen, his engine blew on the run into the first chicane, dumping oil on which Massa, behind him, almost lost control. Massa, who had pitted immediately after Schumacher after 39, returned to the pits for fresh clean tyres, having cut across the chicane.
This drama left Schumacher in the lead to the delight of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo sitting on the pit wall with Raikkonen second by 6.8 seconds and Kubica heading for a first podium in third.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS
The Italian Grand Prix
Autodromo di Monza, Italy;
53 laps; 306.720km;
Weather: Sunny.
Classified:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1h14:51.975
2. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) + 8.046
3. Kubica BMW-Sauber (M) + 26.414
4. Fisichella Renault (M) + 32.045
5. Button Honda (M) + 32.685
6. Barrichello Honda (M) + 42.409
7. Trulli Toyota (B) + 44.662
8. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) + 45.309
9. Massa Ferrari (B) + 45.955
10. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) + 1:12.602
11. Klien Red Bull-Ferrari (M) + 1 lap
12. Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari (M) + 1 lap
13. Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) + 1 lap
14. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) + 1 lap
15. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) + 1 lap
16. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) + 2 laps
17. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) + 2 laps
Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:22.559
Not classified/retirements:
Driver Team On lap
Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 45
Alonso Renault (M) 44
de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 21
Yamamoto Super Aguri-Honda (B) 23
Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 10
World Championship standings, round 15:
Drivers: Constructors:
1. Alonso 108 1. Ferrari 168
2. M.Schumacher 106 2. Renault 165
3. Massa 62 3. McLaren-Mercedes 97
4. Fisichella 57 4. Honda 65
5. Raikkonen 57 5. BMW-Sauber 33
6. Button 40 6. Toyota 30
7. Montoya 26 7. Red Bull-Ferrari 16
8. Barrichello 25 8. Williams-Cosworth 10
9. Heidfeld 20 9. Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1
10. R.Schumacher 18
11. Coulthard 14
12. de la Rosa 14
13. Trulli 12
14. Villeneuve 7
15. Kubica 6
16. Webber 6
17. Rosberg 4
18. Klien 2
19. Liuzzi 1
Michael Schumacher, the most successful driver in the history of Formula One and the man who shaped the sport in the past decade, will retire from F1 at the end of this season, Ferrari confirmed today.
Ending a guessing game that lasted the past three seasons and went into overdrive the last couple of weeks, Schumacher confirmed what many had anticipated - that 2006 will be his final season, ending an illustrious career that encompasses record braking seven times world championship titles, 90 Grand Prix wins, and 68 pole positions.
It is simply impossible to summarise Schumacher's place in the sport history. 'Consummate professional', and 'the complete package' are some of the accolades he has earned from colleagues and pundits. Controversial, flawed genius - even a cheat - was how others perceive him.
Schumacher immediately drew attention on his Formula One debut, when he qualified the Jordan 191 car in seventh for the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Belgian track would soon become synonymous with the German: he took his maiden GP win in 1992 there, and along the years won there six times - more than any other driver. But that is just one of many records Schumacher now has a hold on.
He joined the Benetton team for his second race, and would drive for the outfit for the next four years, taking his first two of seven world championship titles.
But the first championship epitomized much of Schumacher's career: the German was overwhelmingly dominant, but highly controversial and often in trouble for his antics.
He was disqualified in four of the 16 rounds that year, in 1994, and, with the title battle going down to the wire, clinched his maiden championship after a dubious collision with rival Damon Hill.
The second championship, the following year, went more smoothly, the German putting in some of his most memorable drivers and among the best the sport had seen.
But history beckoned Schumacher beyond the success at Benetton, and he was about to begin a chapter in Formula One history that would arguably never be emulated again.
Joining Ferrari, and followed by his close colleagues from Benetton Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne, Schumacher and the famous Italian marque created the most dominant team ever, taking five consecutive drivers' championship titles and six consecutive constructors'.
Again, though, in Schumacher style nothing was achieved without controversy.
In 1997, he failed to clinch the title but managed to be striped of second place after he drove into rival Jacques Villeneuve in the final round of the season.
In 1999, he was sidelined for seven races after breaking his leg at the start of the British Grand Prix.
In 2002, in what would become one of the most dominant years for a team and a driver ever, he inherited the win of the Austrian Grand Prix after Ferrari ordered teammate Rubens Barrichello to give the German the lead on the final lap of the race.
For the first time, Schumacher found himself violently booed on the podium, and it didn't get any better when later that year he attempted to stage a photo finish with Barrichello in the United States Grand Prix, accidentally handing the win to the Brazilian.
By 2006, and just when you thought Schumacher's image as one of the all time greats has been fully restored, the German once again found his personality under debate.
The Ferrari driver parked his car at the Rascasse corner in the dying moments of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix - thus ensuring no other driver could improve his own pole position time. The stewards sent him to the back of the grid for that offense, and the fans and media sent him back to the days of Jerez in 1997 and Adelaide in 1994.
Asked once how he thinks he would be remembered after his retirement, Schumacher said: "Honestly? It doesn't matter. Some people will want to see me like this and others like that.
"What's important is that I know what I am, who I am and where I am. And if people see me the way I am - then I'm happy.
"But I can't control how everyone sees me. I can only be proud of myself and happy with what I achieved."
Kimi Raikkonen has been confirmed as Michael Schumacher's replacement following the German driver's announcement that he is retiring from Formula One at the end of the season.
Raikkonen, currently a McLaren driver, has signed a contract until the end of the 2009 season.
The Finn will drive alongside Brazilian Felipe Massa, who has renewed his contract until the end of 2008.
Full statement from Ferrari annoucing Michael Schumacher's retirement:
Michael Schumacher will retire from race driving at the end of the 2006 World Championship.
Whatever the final result of this year's championship, Michael leaves Formula One holding almost all the records. To date, he has taken seven drivers' world titles and has contributed to the same number of team wins in the constructors' championship.
He has taken part in 247 Formula One Grands Prix (178 of them at the wheel of a Ferrari,) won 90 (71,) been on pole 68 (58 ) times, setting 75 (52) fastest race laps. He has amassed a total of 1354 points, 1051 of them in a Maranello car. No one in the world of motor racing has done better.
Following his decision, the only record that will elude him is the one for the number of race starts. He will be able to reach the 250 mark, just six short of the record held by Riccardo Patrese.
Schumacher has been with Scuderia Ferrari for eleven seasons, a demonstration of loyalty without equal in Formula One, to date securing five of his Drivers' titles here and contributing to six of the team's Constructors' titles. No other driver has ever won as much with the Scuderia.
"I had always said that the decision to retire would be his alone, but now that decision has been taken, I feel a sense of sadness," commented Ferrari President and CEO, Luca di Montezemolo. "We have lived through some unforgettable times together, some good some bad, achieving results that will be hard to equal.
"To Michael goes the thanks of everyone in the company and supporters of Ferrari for all the dedication he has shown to our colours, for the determination and courage with which he has worked, which has provided immense satisfaction. He is both sincere and passionate and has earned the affection of all of us and of our fans.
"His relationship with Maranello will continue, albeit in a different form and I am very happy about that."
"Michael has been the author of a unique chapter in the history of Formula One and of Ferrari in particular. It has yet to reach its conclusion and what he has achieved extends over and above the results obtained," added Managing Director, Jean Todt.
"He is an exceptional man and will become a legend as a driver. For me personally, he is a great friend and together we have lived through unrepeatable experiences. Having had the opportunity to work alongside him has been and will continue to be a privilege."
"Words are not enough and whatever I could say now will never fully express how much I love this fascinating world of motor sport and all it has given me," said Michael Schumacher. "From go-karting to Formula One, I have lived through moments that I will never forget. I am profoundly grateful for everything I have had.
"I want to thank everyone who has accompanied me, supported and inspired me, right back to the days of my childhood. Above all, a special thanks goes to Corinna and our two children, who have given me the strength to do what I have done. All these years in Formula One have been amazing, especially those spent alongside my friends in the Scuderia.
"Soon my future will belong to my family, while I am happy to be still part of Ferrari. But for now, what matters is this world championship."
At the end of the year, as is traditional, we will announce the new team organisation, which will also include a definition of Michael's new role.
Michael Schumacher's position as a Formula One icon, the most successful driver in the history of the sport, is assured.
Whether Ferrari's seven-time world champion is also the greatest is another question, one guaranteed to trigger endless debate long after the ever-controversial German has finally left the stage.
It is one that has dogged Schumacher ever since he overtook the late Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five championships in 2003.
For more than a decade, Formula One has been divided by the behaviour of a man blessed with sublime talents and some all too obvious failings.
He is one of the greats, a figure who transcends his sporting arena as a global celebrity familiar even to those far removed from the world of motor racing.
A generation of fans has grown up watching Schumacher punch the air as he performs his familiar victory leap, fans who have revelled in his skill in the rain at Spa and celebrated alongside him in his native Germany.
There are plenty of others, however, who feel that the 37-year-old's career has been too chequered for him to be due the worship accorded to Fangio, Jim Clark or Ayrton Senna - even if the latter was no angel himself.
There have been accusations of cheating, after his first title success in 1994 when he collided with Briton Damon Hill to win by a point, and again in 1997 when he tried to barge Canadian Jacques Villeneuve off the track.
This year's Monaco Grand Prix, when Schumacher was punished for deliberately impeding rivals to ensure he took pole position, was the latest in a list of controversies to have enraged rivals over time.
"Where Schumacher cannot draw the right line is on track," former teammate Martin Brundle wrote in the Sunday Times newspaper.
"He cannot see when he crosses the line between tough but fair, and ruthless but foul. That is exacerbated by his total belief that he cannot be wrong.
"He has a default mode in the car: if you're going to pass him, he will drive you off the road," added Brundle. "He even did it to me as a teammate."
The final farewell will come in Brazil next month, after Schumacher announced in the wake of Sunday's victory in the Italian Grand Prix that he would quit at the end of the season.
Schumacher will not be forgotten, not by his enemies and certainly not by the Ferrari faithful thronging the historic Monza circuit for his European farewell.
He will appreciate more time with his young family, whom he has shielded from the public gaze.
Schumacher, who often came across as arrogant and brash in his early days, has shunned the fame and hero worship that go with the territory.
"I don't want it, I have a problem with it, just as I do with the hysteria surrounding my person," Schumacher once said, professing little interest in the many records he has accumulated and the Formula One history he has made.
"Obviously I appreciate what people think of my achievements and how it lifts them, but I don't see myself as a hero.
"I am just like everyone else, I just happen to be able to drive fast."
The German has been a winner like no other.
The bare facts are incontestable: a record 90 victories after Sunday's triumph at Monza, five successive titles for Ferrari and more points, pole positions and podiums than anyone else in history.
Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso is one who doubts that anyone will ever get close to beating Schumacher's number of victories.
"I think you need to be extremely lucky, with the right team always," he said. "When you are in the wrong car at the wrong moment, you can't do anything."
Schumacher has excelled at being in the right place at the right time, and almost always in the best car. He has also been the architect of his own success by building a strong team around him.
The son of a bricklayer, who now owns a go-kart circuit in Kerpen near Cologne, Schumacher was born in Huerth-Hermuelheim on Jan. 3, 1969.
The man who would go on to become Germany's first and so far only Formula One world champion started karting at the age of four in a machine built by father Rolf and powered by a lawnmower engine.
He made his debut in a Jordan at Spa in 1991 after that team's Belgian driver Bertrand Gachot was imprisoned for assaulting a London cab driver with CS gas.
Schumacher's manager Willie Weber convinced Eddie Jordan that the young German, little known outside the Mercedes sportscar team, knew the famed circuit well. In fact, he had merely been around it on a bicycle.
The former garage mechanic was an instant hit, snapped up immediately afterwards by Flavio Briatore's Benetton and taking his first win at Spa in 1992.
That was followed by a first championship with Benetton in 1994 after Brazilian Senna was killed at Imola.
Senna's death robbed Formula One of an enthralling battle, the young pretender against the triple champion. Only later, with the emergence of Alonso as Formula One's youngest champion in 2005 and Kimi Raikkonen winning with McLaren, did that generational showdown emerge.
Instead it was with Hill, stepping into the breach at Williams after Senna's death, and McLaren's Mika Hakkinen that Schumacher fought the duels that lit up the championship in the mid-1990s.
After the infamous collision with Hill, and a second title in 1995, Schumacher left for Ferrari to seal his fame and establish a new era for the glamour team.
Hill won in 1996, and then came the debacle of 1997: "If there is anything in my career that I could undo, it would be that episode," he said later.
In 2000 he secured Ferrari's first driver's title in 21 years and the pressure came off with four more in a row.
Few would rule out an eighth crown before he goes.
FAQ
Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 7:31 pm Author: Super Aguri Post subject:
Bunch of *beep*. 
