Story:

Quote :

Michael Schumacher is to call time on his F1 career at the end of the 2012 season. Schumacher, who originally retired in 2006 before returning to the sport with Mercedes in 2010, announced the news at Suzuka on Thursday.

"I have decided to retire from Formula One at the end of the season, although I am still able to compete with the best drivers of the world,” said the German on his official website. “This is something that makes me proud, and this is part of why I never regretted my comeback.”

That comeback did not spawn the kind of results fans had come to expect of the seven-time world champion, with his only podium finish coming in Valencia earlier this year. Schumacher insisted he was not dissatisfied with his time at Mercedes, but admitted things had not gone entirely to plan

“I can be happy with my performance and the fact that I was continuously raising my game during the last three years,” he commented. “But then, at some point it is time to say goodbye.

“I said at the end of 2009 that I wanted to be measured by my success, and this is why I had a lot of criticism in the past three years, which was partly justified. There is no doubt we did not achieve our goal of developing a car capable of fighting for the world championship in those three years. But then it is also clear that I can still be very happy about my overall achievements in Formula One.”

Schumacher’s Mercedes comeback revived his highly successful partnership with team principal Ross Brawn, the man with whom he secured multiple world titles at Benetton and Ferrari. However, their reunion failed to produce a truly competitive car and Schumacher said he had been contemplating his future for some time.

“Already during the past weeks and months I was not sure if I would still have the motivation and energy which is necessary to go on,” said the 43-year old. “And it is not my style to do anything which I am not 100 percent convinced about. With today’s decision I feel released from those doubts. In the end, it is not my ambition to just drive around but to fight for victories; and the pleasure of driving is nourished by competitiveness.”

Schumacher will be replaced at Mercedes for 2013 by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, with Nico Rosberg retained as his team mate.

For a full profile of Schumacher’s record-breaking Formula One career, see our Hall of Fame.

Does anybody else think that this will be another 2006? (I don't.)

Quote from Gougoodthing :

Does anybody else think that this will be another 2006? (I don't.)

Pretty sure this is permanent retirement. The old fire was never lit when he came back. IMHO, he should never have come out of retirement.

If he wants to keep racing, maybe he should move on to Le Mans. He has experience in endurance racing from his younger days, and it's probably a far lighter commitment than F1 (ie. more time with family, etc).

Quote from samjh :

Pretty sure this is permanent retirement. The old fire was never lit when he came back. IMHO, he should never have come out of retirement.

If he wants to keep racing, maybe he should move on to Le Mans. He has experience in endurance racing from his younger days, and it's probably a far lighter commitment than F1 (ie. more time with family, etc).

Why?

What quite a large chunk of people fail to realise about people like Schumacher is that the instinct that makes them comeback is the instinct that made them so good it he first place.

The search of new challenges and new accomplishments and not to sit on what has already been achieved is the difference between your 7 times world champs and 1 time world champions.

Quote from samjh :

Pretty sure this is permanent retirement. The old fire was never lit when he came back. IMHO, he should never have come out of retirement.

If he wants to keep racing, maybe he should move on to Le Mans. He has experience in endurance racing from his younger days, and it's probably a far lighter commitment than F1 (ie. more time with family, etc).

If he wants to stay with Mercedes, maybe head over for V8 Supercar, just a thought?

I don't think his comeback was a mistake. I think it was very good and courageus move from him to come back. If F1 is what he wanted to do then why not do it?

Quote from Intrepid :

What quite a large chunk of people fail to realise about people like Schumacher is that the instinct that makes them comeback is the instinct that made them so good it he first place.

The search of new challenges and new accomplishments and not to sit on what has already been achieved is the difference between your 7 times world champs and 1 time world champions.

Bingo.

A good example of someone else with a similar spirit would be Alex Zanardi.

The hell?

http://blog.axisofoversteer.co ... ras-allowed-at-us-gp.html

Quote from DeadWolfBones :

The hell?

http://blog.axisofoversteer.co ... ras-allowed-at-us-gp.html

What are the local gun laws ?

Can we expect the majority of the spectators to be carrying a pistol on their hip, but having their cameras confiscated ?

lol try zooming your phone with a Sniper rifle scope

Quote from DeadWolfBones :

The hell?

http://blog.axisofoversteer.co ... ras-allowed-at-us-gp.html

Wasn't that on the last page?

Anyway, such clauses aren't that unusual... Concerts and festivals are most restrictive about cameras... How it's enforced is a completely different matter though...

Quote from Mustafur :

If he wants to stay with Mercedes, maybe head over for V8 Supercar, just a thought?

The only thing I can see him do is DTM, not because he likes it more then any other series out there but because of commercial reasons, would be huge for Merc having the Schumacher brothers back together again.

Quote from Töki (HUN) :

Michael Schumacher to retire at the end of 2012

As expected. I'll miss him.

Whaaaaaaaaayyy finally the talentless git will piss off and drive into other competitors for drivers championships in DTM.

Quote from BlueFlame :

Whaaaaaaaaayyy finally the talentless git will piss off and drive into other competitors for drivers championships in DTM.

Grazie Michael

Will Buxton ‏@willbuxton
Lewis Hamilton said to be less than impressed with the telemetry sheet he's been given in Suzuka. pic.twitter.com/wfoi5ZLc

http://whatwillkimidonext.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEiw-7DQ9GY

Domain whois leads to a Finnish agency http://pulp.fi and the date is Kimi's birthday. Remember's Kimi other activities (Ice1 Racing, snowcrossing etc).

So yeah: definitely a Ferrari seat announcement. :rolleyes:

NASCAR it is then.

What I meant is whatever the announcement is, I think it's totally unrelated to F1 (sponsor deal or something to do with his other "hobbies") and this viral campaign is just toying with the driver speculation. It's clearly working considering the response on forums and on the comments...

Quote from Hyperactive :

I don't think his comeback was a mistake. I think it was very good and courageus move from him to come back. If F1 is what he wanted to do then why not do it?

Exactly.. and despite the (hate filled) rants of the likes of blue flame, I'd like to see any of the current "talents" of F1 achieve half of what he did and then come back at his age and not be at the back of the bus. Nope.. can't see any of them doing so..


Oh dear .. Hamilton is moving to Merc.. that means never ending whining then.. as they are not going to be competitive next year and we all know how much he loves to win when he's not out partying with other women and upsetting his "arm candy" girlfriend.. even worse it'll mean never ending perfume, jewelry, mens grooming product adverts filled with his face.

Quote from CSF :

NASCAR it is then.

My guess is motogp

Schumacher was first to do the "whatwill<insert name here>donext"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?N ... psI&feature=endscreen

Vettel to Ferrari in 2014!

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Sources inside Ferrari say they have signed a contract with Vettel, which is thought to be an option to join in 2014 depending on their results.

stupid, but i guess it gives someone else a chance to destroy the championship.

So, we now know who will win the 2014 constructors title...

Quote from Gougoodthing :

So, we now know who will win the 2014 constructors title...

Yeah. Footwork to come back.