10 September 2006 was one of the more consequential days in Formula 1 history, as title contender and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher announced his retirement.
The Ferrari hero did so moments after the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Pole position had eluded the Ferrari hero by just 0.002s in front of the tifosi, with McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen edging ahead, but Schumacher was heavier on fuel.
He made his first pitstop two laps later, emerged in the lead and was never challenged. Schumacher led the Finn by eight seconds under the chequered flag, as team-mate Massa ended up a lowly ninth.
For the 11th time – including both Monza and Imola – Schumacher gifted the tifosi a home victory. It would be his last triumph on Italian soil. Moments later, with all eyes on him, he made the highly scrutinised announcement.
Schumacher took a dominant victory in front of the tifosi at Monza
Photo by: Steve Etherington / LAT Images via Getty Images
“There has been a lot of discussion for a lot of time, what concerns my future and so on, and I think all the fans, all the motorsport-interested people have a right to be explained what’s going to happen,” the German said.
“I am sorry it may [have taken] longer than some of you wanted, but you have to find the right moment, and we feel this is the right moment.
“To make it short, in a way, this is going to be my last Monza race I’m going to do. At the end of this year, I have decided together with the team that I am going to retire from racing.”
This was perhaps an odd time for the 37-year-old to quit F1, given the remarkable level he had maintained – he was fighting for a record-extending eighth world title, with Fernando Alonso his only rival. But the context explained it all.
Even though it wasn’t official yet, months prior Raikkonen had signed with Ferrari for 2007, so Schumacher knew he had two options: stay at the expense of the youthful Massa, or bow out.
Schumacher may have saved Massa’s career with his initial F1 retirement
Photo by: Paul-Henri Cahier / Getty Images
“It has been such a good time for all this time and there is no point to just hang in and may take away a future of a young talented driver like Felipe,” he went on to explain. “Obviously my replacement [i.e. Raikkonen] I was aware of this for quite a long time and for Felipe it was around Indianapolis that his future had to be decided, and I did not see a reason to just hang in and take away his opportunity. I think he is a talented and great person.”
So Schumacher made his own decision by the United States Grand Prix, which was taking place from 30 June to 2 July, ahead of the traditional announcement at Monza – a decision that proved bittersweet in Maranello.
“Truth be told, I was hoping he’d do perhaps one more year,” Fiat chairman Luca di Montezemolo said of his superstar. “He told me a few weeks ago. In the month of August I worked a lot on the organisation and on the future of Ferrari, independently from the drivers. He was sad but very, very determined.
“Then there was all the talk – do we announce it at Monza, or at the end of the year? It was becoming too big. It’s better now that it’s been announced.
Montezemolo was sorry to see his long-time driver go, given how redoubtable a Schumacher/Raikkonen would have been
Photo by: Vladimir Rys / Bongarts / Getty Images
“Since he’s made his decision, which we have accepted, I think Ferrari have two strong, young, determined drivers, who for different reasons are hungry of victories.
“Michael has known for many, many months, or I should say for one year, that the choice was to partner him with Raikkonen. We obviously spoke to him like we did when it was time to choose other drivers because the team must agree on things.
“Massa today had an unhappy start and that influenced his race. If he had a better start it would have ended differently. But he’s giving us lots of satisfaction both as a driver and as a member of the team. If we are leading the constructors’ championship, we owe him a lot as well.”
Schumacher himself said he was “pleased” with Ferrari’s decision to sign Raikkonen, but that took nothing away from his emotion during the press conference.
Raikkonen represented Ferrari’s future, with Schumacher finding himself between a rock and a hard place
Photo by: Vladimir Rys / Bongarts / Getty Images
Asked what he would miss most about F1, the oft-impassible German remained silent for a few seconds, took a deep breath and uttered: “Excuse me.”
That day, Schumacher’s admittedly controversial F1 career was near-universally celebrated, despite a few discordant voices.
Three-time world champion Niki Lauda said Schumacher was “unique”, while rival David Coulthard commented: “Irrespective of whether people are believers in Michael’s race ethics or not, you have to recognise he’s been a great champion and it’s the end of an era.”
But the seven-time title winner didn’t care much for plaudits. Asked how he wanted to be remembered, he replied: “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.”
Some might feel Schumacher was pushed away by Ferrari
Photo by: Michael Cooper / LAT Images via Getty Images
Of course, Schumacher’s retirement proved temporary. A neck injury sustained in a motorcycle crash prevented him from standing in for Massa in 2009 after the Brazilian’s severe head injury ruled him out of the remainder of the season.
Schumacher then signed with Mercedes, racing the Silver Arrows from 2010 to 2012 but never again reaching the highlights of yore. Grievously injured in a skiing accident in December 2013, he has not been seen publicly since.
But Schumacher wasn’t the only reason why 10 September 2006 was so consequential.
“My [‘Welcome to F1’] moment was Monza 2006,” Lewis Hamilton recently revealed. “Just won the GP2 championship. It’s on the grid, Kimi was on pole and I had the privilege of going onto the grid, and I was standing in front of Kimi’s car, and Ron [Dennis] put his arm around me and he told me, looking up to Turn 1, he says, ‘I’m going to give you a chance.’ That was the moment.
“In the moment, I couldn’t quite believe it and I didn’t know what it was going to be a chance at. But obviously that was the moment that he had decided that he was going to give me a chance for 2007.”
As one legend in the limelight stepped aside, another was quietly starting his own journey. A journey that would write many chapters in F1’s history books – and redefine Schumacher’s records.
Hamilton went on to match Schumacher’s seven titles and surpass his 91 victories
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“It’s been a very special day, and to finish it in this style as we have been doing today, looking at the championship as well, but much more at what’s going to happen somehow in the future…
“There has been a lot of discussion for a lot of time, what concerns my future and so on, and I think all the fans, all the motorsport-interested people have a right to be explained what’s going to happen.
“I am sorry it may took longer than some of you wanted, but you have to find the right moment, and we feel this is the right moment.
“To make it short, in a way, this is going to be my last Monza race I’m going to do. At the end of this year, I have decided together with the team that I’m going to retire from racing.
“It has been an exceptional, really exceptional time, what motorsport in more than 30 years has given to me. I really loved every single moment of the good and the bad ones – those ones make life so special.
“In particular, I should thank my family, starting with my dad, my passed-away mum, and my wife and my kids who at all times supported what I was doing. Without their support, without their strengths, to survive in this business and this sport and to perform, I think it would have been impossible.
“I can’t be thankful enough to my family, but as well to all my mates at the Benetton time and especially at the Ferrari days, when I’ve made so many friends, I have so many great guys in that team, and it has been a really tough decision to decide to not work together at this level with all my friends, my engineers and everybody. I mean, they’re just so great.
“But one day, the day has to come, and I felt a point that this is the moment.
An emotional Schumacher makes his way to the Monza podium
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images
“In terms of timing the decision, I thought that it was fair to find that moment that Felipe has a chance to decide his future, because I think he is a very great guy. He’s been doing a very good job to the team, a very supportive, really great team-mate. There was a moment for him to decide for his future, and there was no point for me to take my decision any later than his decision had to be taken, and this was the conclusion.
“In a way, my future replacement, it’s a driver – at some stage the team will tell. But I was pleased – and I know a long time ago – to hear that he was the person.
“And now, I’d just like to concentrate on these last three wins and finish it in style, and hopefully with the championship. We have done a big step today for that, and I really look forward to it.
“I want to thank everybody who has been on my way or supporting me at all stages – there have been a lot of people. Thank you very much.”
Schumacher may have missed out on the title, but he still bowed out in style
Photo by: Lorenzo Bellanca / LAT images via Getty Images
