Feature: Popular Alesi Calls Time on Long Career

Jean Alesi ended his 201-race Formula One career with a spectacular collision with Kimi Raikkonen at Suzuka but the Frenchman was still smiling.

The Jordan driver crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix after just six laps - an accident which summed up the rollercoaster nature of Alesi's long, colourful but ultimately unfulfilled career.

That he won only one race in 201 outings was a travesty for a man blessed with his talents, his high level of car control, his ability to generate high speeds and race with great elan and commitment.

Running in 10th position, Alesi could not avoid Raikkonen when the McLaren-bound Finn spun on the high-speed Dunlop Curve. The collision wrecked both cars, left Raikkonen with a bad headache and sent wheels bouncing in all directions.

Minutes later, the ever-popular Alesi, blessed not only with talent but with Mediterranean film-star good looks, stopped waving to the crowd and went to console Raikkonen who sat with his head in his hands on a nearby bench.

He checked that the young Sauber driver was unhurt and then shook his hand warmly. It was a gesture that showed the world the softer and considerate side of Alesi, the wild-tempered racer with a heart of gold.

Bigger Picture

Even after seeing the final outing of his 12-year career end so abruptly, Alesi could sense a bigger picture.

"It is sad to finish my career like this but that is motor racing and that is life," he shrugged. "I have to accept it. Both Kimi and I were lucky to get away without any injuries."

Before the race, Alesi was almost mobbed on the grid by well-wishers and reporters. His Jordan teammate Jarno Trulli hugged him and he shook hands with everyone. Alesi drove for Tyrrell, Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber, Prost and Jordan and there were few in the paddock or pitlane who were not among his friends.

Frank Williams, who almost recruited him in 1991 when in a typical moment of rashness Alesi found himself committed to both the Englishman's superb team and Ferrari, said the Frenchman would be missed greatly by the paddock and the sport.

"He is a gentleman, a special kind of guy and, speaking personally, I must say that he remembers me every year and always sends me, each Christmas, a case of champagne," he said. "That tells you what sort of guy he is...."

Michael Schumacher, victorious on Sunday, paid Alesi a rich tribute when he said: "It is a long winter. I hope we see him again. Let's see what Jean does now."

Ferrari Passion

But the flow of tributes to Alesi can only partly sum him up. His actions spoke volumes. Those who saw him in his Tyrrell days will never forget his duel with Ayrton Senna on the streets of Phoenix in 1990, his passion when driving for Ferrari, the team of his father's homeland, or his emotional outpouring at Montreal when he triumphed for Ferrari there in 1995.

Alesi made a habit of throwing his race helmet to the spectators. He loved them for their appreciation of his efforts as they loved him for his spectacular style and great skill.

"No, there will never be another one like him," said his former Ferrari and Benetton teammate and great friend Gerhard Berger. "He is a great guy, a great driver and a very special person. We will miss him. But I am glad he is retiring now. It is the right decision."

Few drivers can claim to be as universally liked and loved in paddock and grandstand. But Alesi had a passion that inspired that affection everywhere. When he walked into an Italian restaurant in Montreal on his 31st birthday, on the night he won for Ferrari, every diner there - including four-times champion Alain Prost - stood and gave him a standing ovation while the proprietors gave him a birthday cake.

Like the image of him patting Raikkonen's shoulder and beaming at his friends, it is a lasting picture of a man whose career will be measured in memories rather than results.