So, as was pedicted by most of those in the know, Michael Schumacher has finally confirmed that he will bow out from Formula One racing after the final race of the season in Brazil; and what a perfect set of circumstances to make that announcement.
The apparent plan was for Schumacher to announce his retirement at the post-race press conference should he win the Grand Prix, and win he did, in front of the adoring tifosi. Not only that, but his championship rival Fernando Alonso suffered a rare Renault engine failure, meaning Schumacher has closed up to within two points of the Spaniard's championship lead. On top of that, Ferrari have assumed the lead of the constructors' championship for the first time in 2006, so all in all a pretty apt time to announce the end of an era.
Whatever you may think of him, he will hold legendary status in Formula One for evermore, and his name will forever be mentioned in the same breath as Senna, Stewart and Clark, like it or not.
But what of the championship? Surely the ultimate piece of choreography would be for Schumacher to retire from F1 with an 8th world title in the bag, and it's looking likely. China will be interesting, some of Schumacher's most embarassing on-track moments have occured in the last two Shanghai races, so he has some demons to rest there; and it would certainly be foolish to think that Renault and Michelin cannot get the better of Schumacher and Bridgestone in these final three flaway races.
As seen in Hungary and Turkey, a drop of rain or an untimely safety car could prove very costly for Schumacher, particularly when you consider the Bridgestone tyres' performance in the wet.
He may be bowing out of the sport, but the final chapter of his F1 career is not yet complete, will he bow out a champion, a-la Prost, or second best?
