Doohan: F1 will move on from Schumacher

Ahead of the first grand prix since Schumacher quit the sport, Doohan thinks that the seven-time champion's absence in Melbourne this weekend will be a hot topic.

But the man who has enjoyed pre-Australian Grand Prix holidays with Schumacher in the past thinks it will not take long for the sport to move on and stop looking back.

"I think there has been some gloss knocked off with Michael's retirement, but it will only be evident in the first one or two races as people compare what would have happened if Schumacher had been there," Doohan was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

"At the end of the day, the sport moves on. Formula One will survive.

"I think the effect will be much like it was without other champions who have retired. There is always the feeling of losing some part of the sport, which a driver makes up.

"But, at the end of the day they are soon forgotten and a new guy emerges. One of the faces isn't there. It's a bit like Mika Hakkinen and Alain Prost and, to a degree, the sudden loss of Ayrton Senna."

Doohan believes that Schumacher's great success owed much to his complete dedication to the job at hand - a trait shared by many sporting champions.

"Schumacher was just 100 per cent dedicated to winning. Second was never an option," explained Doohan. "He put 100 per cent of his energy and focus into it.

"He was a total professional. The same as a Valentino Rossi or one of the other champions who is there week-in and week-out. They are quick every time they are on the track. That's what makes guys like Schumacher different and so hard to beat. They never have an off day."