Q & A with Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher: There have been several situations. Since the start of the season where things didn't work so well, except for the first race. Then it turned for us in Imola then some struggling moments in the mid-season and then towards the end of the season becoming very strong. And we are where we are for this last final race and we will see what is going to happen.

Q. Is it an emotional race for you, as the last one?

MS: I am not thinking so much about it. Occasionally it comes up and you feel a bit strange about it, but in general I am pretty relaxed and it is pretty much business as usual so far.

Q. So you are dealing with this race like it is a normal one, until now?

MS: Until now, yes. But we will see if it changes.

Q. You have had Brazilian teammates for many years now. Your final race is in Brazil. Do you have a special relationship with Brazil?

MS: If you say it like this, there is some coincidence that I come back to Brazil. I have been pretty successful down here in Brazil in the time I have been racing here and I have been looking forward to racing here at this circuit - even though it is pretty bumpy, it offers a good racing challenge, good overtaking possibilities. It is great from the driver's point of view to race at this track.

Also, I have had half of my time at Ferrari has been with Brazilian teammates. That has been interesting and this year having Felipe Massa on my side is a nice combination. We get on very well, I got on very well with Rubens Barrichello as well, we had a good partnership too. But it is different and we enjoy being together, racing together and finally having success after last year was a bit down.

Q. Is your retirement decision final, or can we expect a comeback to racing like Mika Hakkinen and Niki Lauda. Also, can you envisage what you will with your life outside of racing?

MS: Yes, I don't make a decision if I don't think I need to make a decision. My decision has been taken, it has been expressed, so there is no reason to change that decision. What is going to be my life afterwards? I don't know. I have told many times that I don't feel like I should know.

I am in a fortunate position that I can retire and don't have to have a vision for my life afterwards right now. I have plenty of time to make my vision, to live a life where something will come up that will interest me. I am completely relaxed and completely sure about this. What that will be, I don't know. But life offers plenty of opportunities and I look forward to those.

Q. If you had one dollar to bet on the world championship next year, would you put it on Kimi Raikkonen or Felipe Massa?

MS: I don't bet.

Q. Niki Lauda has said this week that he expects Ferrari to decline without you. What are your feelings on this, and also do you intend to race in any other categories in the future?

MS: First of all, there was a Ferrari without Schumacher before I came and there will be a Ferrari without me. I am pretty sure that they have taken very good decisions to replace myself in order to keep success going. How much we will see, who knows? As for racing in other series, I have no view and no interest in that right now.

Q. You have had Brazilian teammates for so long, and raced with Brazilians for so long, are there certain characteristics about Brazilian drivers that stand out?

MS: The only thing you can comment on is the way that emotions go - from more north like the Finnish drivers compared to the south people, it is very different in terms of expressing their emotions. That is the only obvious thing.

Q. Michael, any regrets in your career?

MS: I think it is pretty clear that if you have a chance to do certain things twice in life, you may do them different.

Q. You said that you would only retire when you no longer felt competitive, so do you not feel competitive now? And also, is it true that you visited Ayrton Senna's grave yesterday?

MS: For the first part of the question, I cannot see to be strong enough in the future to get the energy you need to be strong enough. It needs a lot of motivation, it needs a lot of dedication, and I have expressed this many times before. For the second part, I have not been at the place you have mentioned.

Q. If you win this title, will it be the most epic success of your career? If not, which one would you pick as your favourite?

MS: The most favourite anyway will remain the one of 2000. I am not coming here this weekend to think too much about my own title. I am coming here for the constructors' title. I have expressed after the Suzuka race that the title fight for the drivers' championship is finished.

I don't want to build up my hopes on someone retiring. So I am here to do a good race and try to win the race. From our point of view we can only do the maximum job to be one and two at the end of the race and then we have to see what the others can do, and if that is enough for us to win the constructors' championship or not.

Q. What do you consider the strengths of the Renault car?

MS: Not much honestly. There is not much to think about. Just, as I have said before, it is tough enough for us to concentrate on us that we do our job we want to do. And whatever is the best we can do. And then the rest is fate.

Q. What will you miss least about being away from Formula One, the media?

MS: Honestly you have to see things as a total. In general I have had a good life here, as well as you guys. There is nothing to regret. Maybe it has been tough sometimes for your guys, but in general I am pretty relaxed to see you back again at some stage somehow. There is not something that I will miss the least.