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Grapevine: Interview: Schumacher Craves Anonymity

Grown men squeal, teenagers flap their autograph books and even grey-haired grandmothers jostle for a better view whenever Michael Schumacher is spotted by his German fans.

Grown men squeal, teenagers flap their autograph books and even grey-haired grandmothers jostle for a better view whenever Michael Schumacher is spotted by his German fans.

But when the six-times Formula One Champion spent a few weeks in the United States late last year, no-one recognised the fit-looking man playing on the Las Vegas slot machines or riding cross-country on a motorcycle.

"I'm not really very comfortable with all the commotion about me and to be honest I can't really understand it because I don't see myself as anything special," Schumacher said in an interview. "Maybe I can drive a tick faster than many others, but otherwise I'm just a normal guy trying to raise a family."

The best-paid and fastest sportsman alive, Schumacher is also the most recognisable German in the world, ahead of its Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and supermodels such as Claudia Schiffer and Heidi Klum.

But the 35-year-old trained mechanic turned German icon has a different ideal of happiness and craves solitude the way others long for the limelight. If he could have one wish, Schumacher says, it would be anonymity.

"It was never my goal to become famous. That was never the reason why I wanted to become a racing driver. If I had a choice, I would much rather be able to race in Formula One at this level and not be recognised in public. I know that's not realistic. But to be anonymous would be a dream come true for me."

The Ferrari driver, who begins the defence of his title at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, lives with his wife and young children on a secluded farm in Switzerland and spends his off-season holidays in a remote part of Norway.

He relishes the obscurity he gets in the United States, where Formula One has only a small following.

"It was great, I wasn't recognised, just treated like normal," he said. "I was able to watch people rather than being watched. I really enjoyed that."

Exciting Season

Schumacher told Reuters he expected the 2004 season to be another tough battle, similar to the down-to-the-wire 2003 Championship rather than the 2002 season he won easily.

"Most probably it will be more like the 2003 season," he said. "I think it will definitely be an exciting season with three, perhaps even four, nearly equal teams. And then there are another team or two that everyone will have to keep their eyes on. I'm really looking forward to it."

Schumacher's critics and fans would agree on one thing - the biggest name in one of the world's biggest sports has gone through a metamorphosis in recent years.

He has shed the image of a ruthless, reckless villain who would seemingly do almost anything to win, and revealed a surprising softer side.

The world also saw his calmness at a race in Austria last year when he sat in his burning car at a pitstop while Ferrari mechanics scrambled to douse a fuel tank fire. He was back on the track seconds later and won the race.

"How much have you changed since you were a 20-year-old boy?" Schumacher counters when asked about the changes. "It's a period of your life when probably everybody changes a lot due to the experiences they have. I am probably much more self-confident now, having achieved what I wanted to achieve and even more, having the good fortune of sharing my life with a wonderful family. I have grown up into being a lucky man."

Language Skills

His image as a robot with no emotions has dissipated in recent years as his English and Italian language skills have improved, but also as he bonded more closely with his Ferrari team members, going out of his way to praise them after almost every victory.

He was taken aback by the universal condemnation he and Ferrari faced after the controversial "team orders" victory in Austria in 2002 when teammate Rubens Barrichello was ordered to let him pass just before the finish line.

The deafening jeers were followed by weeks of backlash. Ferrari vowed it would not happen again and Schumacher began showing a more human side with emotions no longer bottled up inside.

He was in tears after the French Grand Prix in 2002, where he clinched his fifth title and equalled the record set in 1957 by Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio.

Last season, he won the San Marino Grand Prix with tears in his eyes just hours after his mother had died.

With four consecutive World Championships and six titles in his 12 seasons, Schumacher is the only title-winner left on the circuit but he has no plans to retire.

"I don't know why so many people worry so much about me," he says. "Why should I stop doing something that I enjoy so much? I don't feel so old that I can't keep driving at the top level."

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