TGP to quit.........When he thinks he is too slow

[rdjones]

This just in from Autosport.com:-

World champion has no intention of leaving Formula 1 at the top

Reigning world champion Michael Schumacher has said that he will have to consider his Formula 1 future when he can no longer keep up with the sport's young hotshots like Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen.

In an interview with AUTOSPORT's sister title Autocar, the world champion was asked what he'll do when young drivers such start to challenge him the way he hassled Ayrton Senna in the early 1990s.

"They're already doing it!" he said. "As long as I can compete with them, that's fine. But once I find out that I'm too slow then I will have to start thinking."

Schumacher, who will start the season driving last year's championship-winning car, reckons that the biggest threat to him becoming the first driver since Juan-Manuel Fangio to win three consecutive titles will come from Williams.

"My feeling is that Williams-BMW will be challenging us most – or maybe we'll be doing the challenging – simply because McLaren have gone over to Michelin tyres. I don't know what they have to learn by doing that."

A fifth world title would put Schumacher's name at the top of almost every list in the F1 record book, but despite his almost unparalleled success he has no intention of stopping just yet.

"That's why I never talk about statistics because very often is sounds like 'okay, I want to achieve that and once I have done it, there's nothing left to achieve' and that's not really the case for me."

[paulzinho]

I see he doesn't share Sennas motivation for bigger numbers and being the best but like Senna he loves to be in the car.

[Mr V]

do you think that dc knows this? and that caused the out burst last week about lifting/not lifting at brazil last year, in the hope that it may prompt tgf into early retirement??

just a thought

[Speedworx]

I have a feeling that if MS wins the title this year, he will retire. If he doesn't win the title, he will continue.

[Damon]

I beg to differ. If he gets the title this year I think he'll go on, having the most WDC ever must appeal. If he gets a pasteing this year then he'll retire.

[av8rirl]

I agree with Damon

[Gt_R]

I hope Michael retires once he find that he is not competitive to win the WDC...ie his performance is that of DC last year.

Because Michael is simply such a strong driver, that even when his performance start to decline, he is still much able to compete with at the top for many years after his current contract ends. For podium and points, even if not for wins...driving abilities don't just disappear over night.

[neilap]

Since he is able to have the team rally around him I feel he might not retire for another six years. He might even go after the oldest to win a WDC. Even when he is not the best driver anymore I am quite confident that he will still be the most intellectually blessed. That I feel wins him more races than his skill. I am willing to bet that MS has a higher IQ than most of the other drivers. I admire his ability to organise a team and to practically have the race won before he gets into the car.