The Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos this week was historic in many ways. Fernando Alonso retained his championship crown and become the youngest double champion, with Renault retaining the constructors title. The crowd had something to celebrate as local hero Felipe Massa won emphatically from start to finish, a Brazilian winner after a gap of 13 years- the late Ayrton Senna the last to do so. But clearly the attention grabber was the departure of Michael Schumacher;he had announced earlier in the year that this would be his last season in Formula One. It was not the ideal swansong- he started from the grid in 10th place due to fuel pressure problems during qualifying, made a good start which came to nought thanks to a tyre puncture and then stormed through the pack to finish in fourth- but it certainly showcased all the driving skills that have made him a seven-time world champion. It was a virtuoso drive by Schumi, the highlight being the overtaking of Kimi Raikkonen- who will be replacing the maestro at Ferrari next year. It will be a huge void to fill for the Finn, and it remains to be seen how well he will be able to integrate with his new team and the heavily expectant Italian media and fans.
Schumacher is perhaps the most controversial champion ever. His tactics and aggressive driving style have made him quite unpopular among his fellow drivers, and even his team mates were none too pleased with the dominance which Ferrari accorded him, a result of his numero uno standing in the team. Former champion Jacques Villeneuve had recently launched a scathing attack on Schumi, scars of the incident in 1997 when he tried to shunt Villeneuve out of the championship reckoning but ended up crashing out himself and also got stripped of second place in the final standings. Damon Hill too had been on the recieving end of a likewise incident but wasn’t as lucky; Schumi’s tactics ensured that he won the championship that year.
Inspite of it all, Schumi remained the darling of the masses. During the ‘domination years’ (2000-2004), the bosses at FIA were worried about falling TV viewership and decreased spectators. But Schumi’s popularity had not waned; rather it was the lack of competition from the other drivers and teams that was the cause of boredom.
Love him or loathe him, Schumacher has undoubtedly etched a place for himself in the annals of F1’s hall of fame. Every possible record is in his name. The baton of luck definitely passed to Alonso while it deserted Schumi in his direst hour of need. But it takes nothing away from a glittering career, perhaps only the 8th championship trophy from his overflowing cupboard. It is the end of an era in F1.