Peter, don't you think it had something to do with LDM trying to restructure the team for the future? Bringing in Kimi, Todt leaving shortly after, etc.
Honestly I think it was a combination of things: He was tired of it, his wife wanted him out of it, he was worried about Kimi as team mate, LdM treated him badly, Ferrari hadn't won the title two years in a row and the dream team members were/have been leaving.
I've heard all the theories, and none of them seem very logical to me....but lack of logic doesn't make any of them wrong. I suspect I'll die curious about this one. I still don't believe he was scared of running against Kimi...MS would have thought he was better and he would have had the full support of the team. Did he sacrifice himself for Massa? Was LDM sick of him? was his wife really behind it? (I find that very hard to believe...he went motorcycle racing ffs AND he's back and the wife's still there) His last race in 2006 was fantastic and retiring just made no sense. Anyway...this has got nothing to do with Massa being with Ferrari next year, but it might have a lot to do with him being with the team in 2007.
Maybe he just needed a break, too bad it wasn't only for one season, as I recall when he was still helping Ferrari with the F1 cars and he ran on the same day at Mugello he was the quickest driver on the track.
Very glad to hear Massa will be returning, but there's no question he erred with going wide. As for the pitstop, I think the driver puts the car in gear, but wouldn't he only have done so when instructed to by the lollipop guy? From what we saw on TV, I believe the car was probably put into gear before anyone knew there was a problem with the rear tire. Mark
I think LDM was 90 percent of why MS retired. LDM felt like he was loosing control or wasn't in control of Ferrari F1. It was Jean, Brawn and MS who were running the show. He couldn't handle that.
^^^Bear in mind, Italy are looking for a new leader and the name that keeps popping up is that of Luca di Montezemolo....
Till today, i think it's a Luca who pushed MS out. It's quite clear MS wanted to pick his own teammate, and Kimi was Luca's choice, but not MS. Kimi was the future (how wrong was Luca here), and MS was considered the past/present (speaking of 2006 here). It's also fair to conclude that he was getting tired of it. Alonso beat him twice, and MS always mentioned it was time for him to hang up his helmet should a younger gun come along and beat him on a regular basis. That younger gun was Alonso. I also think he could have easily won the 2007 and 2008 titles should he remained. Or, he could have taken a sabbatical in 2007, and came back for 2008 fresh. Well, this is all just my thoughts. Till today, it was just not meant to be and no one will ever know.
no way he was scared of Kimi, esp after he smoked him near the end of Brazil 06 race to take 4th from the back of the pack. 07 would have been his and possibly 08 as well. hell, it should have been Massas as it was.
Very close to what I thought as well. I think how much stronger Ferrari closed 2006, that MS would have had 2007 and 2008 in the bag.
In the 1st issue of the Ferrari magazine, June 2008, page 21, in an interview conducted by Michael, Luca reminded Michael that the decision to go with Kimi had been Michael's own suggestion and this realization made me think the retirement decision was entirely Schumi's, who likely knew key personnel exit strategies and probably thought "what else do I have to prove?" I like to think he came back out of boredom (but honestly, don't know how that happens to a billionaire). It probably keeps him out of trouble. Best to All, David
