Schumacher to quit at end of season
Schumacher calls time on a record-breaking but controversial career
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Sunday, 10, Sep 2006 10:00
Michael Schumacher has announced he will retire from Formula One at the end of the season after an emotional victory at the Italian grand prix.
The seven-time world champion clinched his fifth and final victory at Monza in front of a partisan crowd.
Schumacher, 37, will bring an end to a glittering 12-year career with 90 grand prix wins and 153 podium finishes.
McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen will replace the German at Ferrari for the 2007 season.
Schumacher said afterwards he will leave the sport with positive memories.
"I have decided that I am going to retire from racing. It has been an exceptional time," he said.
"What motorsport has gven me over the last 30 years, I have loved every moment of it, good and bad."
"It has been a tough decision to not work at this level. The day has come and I felt this is the moment."
He added that he made his decision for the benefit of his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.
"As well as timing the decision I though it was fair so Felipe has a chance to decide his future."
"He has done a great job, [been a ] good team-mate and he had to decide."
"My future replacement is a driver [Raikkonen] - I was pleased that he was the person and now like to concentrate on this last three races and finish it in style. We have done a big step to the championship today and I look forward to that now."
Since his first grand prix in Belgium in 1991, the German has dominated the sport, securing his first championship with Benetton-Ford in 1994.
He added further championships with Ferrari in 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.
But his legacy will be tinged with controversy due to his desire to win with infamous confrontations with his title rivals.
He secured his first title in 1994 after a collision with Englishman Damon Hill at the Australia grand prix that many critics blamed him for.
Three years later he was disqualified from the 1997 championship after a collision with bitter rival Jacques Villenueve in the Spanish grand prix at Jerez.
In May, he was found guilty of deliberately stalling his car in qualifying at Monaco to prevent Fernando Alonso overtaking him.
The German has the chance to leave the sport with a flourish after reducing the gap on championship leader Alonso to two points with three races remaining.