Michael Schumacher made the right call to return to retirement. Not because he hasn’t ‘got it’ anymore, there is no doubting he can still compete at the top. It has nothing to do with him.
Mercedes has fallen backwards in the past races to the point that Toro Rosso, who scored just six points in the first 11 races, now boasts a faster car.
It’s no place for a seven-time champion.
If the Brackley squad continues in the same vein next season with Lewis Hamilton at the wheel, Schumacher will have the final vindication that he was, and until Brazil is wasting, his time turning up to race.
For a team which won the 2009 drivers’ and constructors’ titles, that has won a solitary race since, and been represented on the podium just six times in the last three seasons.
For the money the German mark is pouring into the squad, they are enjoying very little yield, on a level comparable to the disastrous forays of Jaguar and Toyota, and not even on the same level as compatriot BMW, who enjoyed reasonable success during its brief tenure as a works team.
Schumacher has nothing to prove to anybody; if the Mercedes was the fastest car on the grid, he would be winning races, something he came close to earlier in the season, though chronic mechanical failures crueled any opportunity.
Monaco will go down as what might have been; his pole position became sixth on the grid, a significant whack from serial offender Romain Grosjean off the line, and finally a fuel pressure problem denied Schumacher a certain victory.
That weekend, for once, he had a car which was outright quickest, and he was the quickest driver throughout the weekend.
That’s how close he came to silencing the critics who had been lambasting him from the day he announced his comeback.
His podium at Valencia was some recompense, but it has been all downhill from there. Mercedes has displayed no signs of the fairytale transformation Ferrari enjoyed with Schumacher from the late-1990s through to the early noughties.
Otherwise he would have had no hesitation in re-committing for a further two seasons, rather than the one he was leaning towards, sensing his motivation on the wane, undoubtedly in large part due to there being not even a remote possibility of success.
Schumacher has to be lauded for coming back, he has given it his all for the past three seasons, his impact on the organisation will be felt well beyond his departure, but there is only so much underachieving which can be tolerated.
Schumacher gave something back to Formula 1 when he made his return, in doing so, he returned a favour he was never obligated to return, to Mercedes for giving him the chance to break into the sport two decades earlier.
One can only hope that Mercedes reciprocates the favour over the final four races of his magnificent career.
Gail Mrs Gray
Roar Rookie
Thank you Rahul.
Gail Mrs Gray
Roar Rookie
I felt so sad when Michael retired the first time in 2006 i wept all week and my late husband had to comfort me and trying his upmost to calm me down, evently i got over it but his images of him haunted me at bedtime and i kept on saying lord please tell him i miss him so and want him back. well i was suprised to see him return back in 2010 i was over joyed once more and the seasons to follow were cruel harsh ones, no world titles he was hoping for then he decided to quit again this time for good, my sadness of him returned, i am so glad that in 2002 to 2005 i wrote him a dedication/tribute book and gave him the first editional copy which got published in 2007. at least i done something for him and i am glad and pleased he loves the book. there are so many fans like me worship Michael while there are others who dispise him, why after all that was his job to be competitive and ruthless to get your aim in life and his was to become world champion for 7 times, he is not rude or agronant or selfish, his heart is in his sleeve, he knows how it was when he was little how his parents struggled to make ends meet.I find him a pure of heart honest open minded who do care for people who needs help and support that is why he donates wonderfully.
Rahul Krishna Jujjavarapu
Guest
Very true Ma'm. Well said.
Mrs Gail J Gray
Guest
I miss Michael he made my wekends so cheerful now he isn't in formula 1 no more the weekends are dull and boring like they used to be before i knew him. I know there are folk out there hate him ,well i don't he has helped me a great deal and also so has his boss Mr Jean Todt the both have inspired me a great deal, to me Michael and Jean will always be my best friends.
Rahul Krishna
Guest
I'm a hardcore Schumacher fan, I agree with the fact he's the fastest driver on the grid but his ruthless aggression will not work out while driving a midfield car(If same is the case next year). Dont know whom to root for next year though..
The Radical
Roar Rookie
Not a huge Hamilton fan, in fairness he is probably the fastest driver on the grid. He would win a lot of respect from yours' truly as well as many others if the car's ability is the same as this year, and he somehow manages to mix it with the Red Bulls, McLarens and Ferraris...
The Radical
Roar Rookie
Rule changes are minimal for 2013, DDRS (double drs) has been outlawed - which was the primary reason for Mercedes' competitiveness in first five or six races, so unless they can come up with something similarly ingenious, next season will be more of the same. 2014 is the big year with the introduction of the turbo-era, if Merc are still midfielders then, Brawn will be on the line regardless if it's his fault or not ...
Rahul Krishna
Guest
Yeah.. Hope Hamilton gets a better car next year. If its not the case, then we'll find Hamilton crashing into the back of midfield cars given his speed and temperament.
MR
Guest
Well said mate....Could Ross Brawn have lost his touch or could he have something up his sleeves for next year?
The Radical
Roar Rookie
Yes the least a seven-time champion deserves is a half-decent car, and if the Mercedes was anything close to that earlier in the season, I don't know what it is now. After the time he has put into making it a success, not to mention staking his own reputation, his decision to retire is completely justifiable, I hope Hamilton knows what he's getting himself into!
The Radical
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the enthusiasm, I think Schumi will look back on his decision in twelve months with no regrets. He gave it his best, but in that car, nobody - including Hamilton, is capable of competing for podiums, let alone victories and championships.
saf
Guest
Mercedes are a total joke team last three years they have started the season as 4th best team behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mclaren and by the end they are lagging behinds Lotus, Force India Williams, and this year Toro Roso and Sauber too. What a joke
Geet
Guest
Very well written article...I wish Michael comes back as a racers with a winning team someday!
F1demon
Guest
Very well-written! I like the way you've neatly captured Michael's return and put it in the perspective a seven time champion deserves! Schumi has his critics for sure but let's face it- very few drivers his caliber have put it all on the line for a comeback and given it everything despite a sub-standard car, not even a distant second running car to boot! He has come back and raced at the pinnacle of motorsport with the motivation and physical demands even the younger drivers lack....I hope the toro rosso's and the HRTs and the sauber's are learning from him bec those of them that make it to the pantheon will find themselves looking for the skills and mental toughness that, a Michael Schumacher brought age 42!
conor
Guest
Could not agree more.
Rahul Krishna
Guest
Rightly said..
Rahul Krishna
Guest
Spectacular article mate.. You're absolutely right about the reason why Schumi retired. Your article is one of the most maturely written articles in recent times. Schumacher assessed his options before retiring, he might have gone to Ferrari had he been offered a contract. But, that did'nt happen. Rather than languishing in a midfield car, which he doesent deserve, he chose to retire. Your article deserves THUMBS UP++.
Luke
Guest
Great article. 100% accurate. Thumbs up