There’s a lot of images from yesterday’s Brazilian Grand Prix that will stay with me, from Nico Rosberg’s spectacular exit to Felipe Massa’s sheer joy on the top step of the podium. From Fernado Alonso’s hand clasp to his visor on the slowdown lap as the realization of his back to back World Championships hit home, to Michael Schumacher’s ripped left year tire.

And it is perhaps that shredded tire that best summarized both the race and the career of the retiring seven times world champion. I’ve never been a Schumacher fan, and will admit to cries of happiness on the rare occasions misfortune has struck him, yet I no-one can deny that he was clearly one of the best there has ever been behind the wheel of a modern Grand Prix car.  He treated every lap as if it was a qualifying lap, he worked himself, the car and the team with just one goal in mind – to win championships. He said he had little interest in records or the history of the sport, yet he was clearly aware of them, but above all he was simply, supremely quick.

I will always recall the first USGP at Indianapolis as I watched Schumacher enter the first turn carrying at an unbelievable velocity that I was sure would put him off track. He not only carried that speed around the corner, he made it look easy and was visibly quicker than anyone else.

For his swansong yesterday he drove a Champion’s race. Qualifying tenth then getting up to sixth as quickly as he did was impressive enough, but that shredded tire put him at the back of the field in 20th place, all hopes of his eight championship gone. Instead of settling down for what could have been a succession of parade laps he went for it with a magnificent drive that saw set the fastest lap of the race on his way back up to fourth place.

It was a fitting end to a stellar career. I may not have cheered for him, but I will always appreciate the fact that I witnessed his achievements.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 23rd, 2006 at 5:43 pm and is filed under Formula One. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.