Italy praises Schumacher's sportsmanship

That is the view of most news and sports papers in Italy, after Schumacher was seen thanking and consoling each and every Ferrari mechanic following his retirement from the lead of the Japanese Grand Prix with a blown engine.

And while most headlines focused on title dreams going up in smoke, none of the major papers condemned the team's failure.

"The engine and Schumi's dreams go up in smoke" is the headline on Corriere della Sera, with a sub-heading reading "maximum disappointment and lots of sportmanship from Schumacher, who thought more about his team than about himself."

"In the end, then, it's true that Schumi has lost his personal battle against time," reads the article. "And it's also true that he isn't retiring as the world champion. But he's leaving as a fulfilled man and sportsman, one who thanks life for the emotions he's been granted."

In an article titled "He's also learned how to lose", Gazzetta dello Sport writes: "Schumacher didn't deserve to end his extraordinary career in such a cruel way. But the serenity with which he reacted to the most poignant of defeats honours him.

"He will leave us the memories of a champion who, year by year, learned how to lose, how to accept defeats as a great champion. And for someone who at the beginning wasn't even graceful in victory, it's a sign he's by now ready for real life outside the track as well."

Another Gazzetta dello Sport column says that "Schumacher has done great things in an effort to leave Ferrari with one or two more world championships, but he's already had plenty - more than anyone else - from life and racing.

"Sadness must have its limits, too, and it seems like Schumi understands this when he goes thanking all his mechanics in the garage. That's the farewell of a great."

"Red smoke" is the headline in Turin newspaper La Stampa, followed by "Schumi knows how to lose too."

Sportspaper TuttoSport, after a headline reading "Ferrari, World Championship harakiri", had another one titled "Dream up in smoke for Schumacher", and writes that the German driver "could have cried, or get as angry as a snake, or run away on board the first flight, or curse or whatever else.

"Instead, he behaved like a true captain - by consoling the team and hugging the mechanics - and a gentleman."

Il Giornale went for a slightly different angle, focusing more on the fact that the Maranello-based squad still have a chance to win either titles.

In an article titled "Ferrari must not give up now", the newspaper writes that "Montezemolo was right in telling his men the title can still be won.

"The men in red don't need to know that, when their engine blew, there was a big applause in the press room. It was neither an Italian nor a Spanish applause, but it doesn't matter: it hurts anyway."

But the newspaper does not condemn the team: "When the engine went up in smoke, you could see infinite sadness in every team member. Let's not call it a red tragedy only for respect of real tragedies, and because F1 plays with risk and death, so it's better not to overuse certain words.

"But sadness, that was red and infinite, because this title was, would have been, maybe can still be, the title of Ferrari humbleness: it looked lost, and they managed to grab it again with the work of everyone, from the billionaire Schumacher to the blue-collar mechanics."

Corriere dello Sport writes that Schumacher "always manages to stick something glorious into his misadventures. He goes back home leaving behind strengthened affections and not even the shadow of a teardrop.

"As the mechanics pack away the equipment, one of them stops as he watches Schumacher leave. And mutters: 'where would we find another guy like this?'"