Sep 11, 2006 4 min read

MONZA, Italy (AP) – Michael Schumacher climbed to the top of the podium, where he has been so many times. He took a long look at the sea of red-clad Ferrari fans below, and told them what they didn’t want to hear. He was retiring from Formula One after the season, ending one of the great careers in sports, let alone auto racing. Fittingly enough, his announcement Sunday came after he won the Italian Grand Prix.

“The day has to come, and I felt this was the moment,” the 37-year-old German said. “After the checkered flag I came on the radio and told all my friends in the team what I was about to announce, and it was really difficult to keep my emotions under control.”

The same could be said for the fans of the seven-time world champion. After his 90th career victory and fifth at Monza – in which he drew within two points of leader Fernando Alonso with three races left – they pleaded for a change of heart.

“Michael, please don’t leave,” one banner read. Another said: “Schumi + Ferrari eternal love.”

“You could feel the love they have for Ferrari,” Schumacher said. “If I had to talk about that decision at that moment, I would not have managed to get the words out of my mouth.”

He will leave the sport following the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on Oct. 22.

“It’s the end of an era,” said Red Bull driver David Coulthard, one of the drivers who has competed against Schumacher the longest.

Ferrari plans to announce a “new role” for Schumacher at the end of the season.

“I always said that the day I will retire I will just do nothing for a while,” Schumacher said. “Then I will see what my mind will be. I will always be part of the Ferrari family.”

Schumacher said he wanted to make the decision now so teammate Felipe Massa could work out his future with the team. Ferrari also said Massa will continue next season alongside Kimi Raikkonen, who moves over from McLaren-Mercedes. Raikkonen, who was on the pole, finished second Sunday while Robert Kubica was third.

“There was no reason for me to make my decision any later than (Massa) had to make his,” Schumacher said.

Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo followed the race from pit lane.

“It’s been eight years since I did that. I only did it for Michael,” Montezemolo said. “Sincerely, I hoped he would go on for one more year.”

Franz Beckenbauer, the soccer great and Germany’s most popular sports figure, called Schumacher’s retirement a “pity.”

“It’s always too bad when such a great personality steps down,” he said.

Thomas Bach, Germany’s top sports official and an IOC vice president, said Schumacher’s achievements “go beyond Formula One and sport itself.”

Schumacher’s seven titles are two more than Juan Manuel Fangio’s five. Schumacher won his first two titles with the Benetton team in 1994 and ’95, then restored Ferrari to prominence with five consecutive championships from 2000-04.

“Schumacher knows exactly what life is, what sport is and that athletes have to finish at the top,” Italian Premier Romano Prodi said.

Schumacher said he “loved every single moment” of his career but made up his mind to retire after winning the U.S. Grand Prix in July.

“It’s not as if I’m lacking anything,” he said. “Might as well leave while I’m still at the top level.”

The German showed signs of vulnerability when he won the 2003 title by only two points over Raikkonen. Schumacher responded with another strong year in 2004, though, winning a record 12 of the first 13 races.

Alonso ended Schumacher’s title run last year, with Schumacher and Ferrari struggling to adapt to rule changes intended to stop the team’s dominance.

On Sunday, Schumacher won in 1 hour, 14 minutes, 51.975 seconds. Raikkonen was 8.046 seconds behind and Kubica of BMW-Sauber was 26.414 back.

“Monza is just unbelievable. It has always been, particularly when all the fans are out,” Schumacher said. “Due to the nature of the circumstances, it is obviously an unbelievable feeling.”

Alonso’s race ended because of a mechanical problem on the 43rd lap. Smoke began billowing from the back of the Spaniard’s Renault on the main straightaway. He had moved into third position when his engine failed.

Alonso was penalized five places on the starting grid for blocking Massa during qualifying and he started 10th.

“When you start 10th you have to push everything to the limit: yourself, the car, the tires and the engine,” Alonso said. “But the verdict on this weekend is simple – the race was decided off the track on Saturday afternoon.”