F1/ Italian Grand Prix: Last Thursday afternoon at Monza two lonely banners hung over the fencing on the circuit's main straight. One simply read "Schumacher e Ferrari = amore eternale", the other "Kimi, red doesn't suit you."
Both somehow expressed just how big a moment yesterday's announcement was. Michael Schumacher, seven-time world champion, the most successful Formula One driver of all time, is leaving at the end of the season.
"Words are not enough and whatever I could say now will never fully express how much I love this fascinating world of motor sport and all it has given me," he said. "From go-karting to Formula One, I have lived through moments that I will never forget. I am profoundly grateful for everything I have had. All these years in Formula One have been amazing, especially those spent alongside my friends at Ferrari.
"Soon my future will belong to my family, while I am happy to be still part of Ferrari. But for now, what matters is this world championship."
Neither Ferrari (with whom he has claimed five titles) or the sport will find it easy to replace him. A generation of fans were brought to the sport by Schumacher. They were, too, brought up on the German's trademark leap of victory, 90 of them to be precise. More than any other driver in the history of Formula One.
Along the way almost every record in the sport was shattered. Most titles, most wins, most podiums, most championship points scored. The last major record to tumble was that of pole positions and in smashing the great Ayrton Senna's total of 65, this year in Imola, Schumacher finally could justifiably lay claim to being the greatest the sport has ever seen.
But alongside the remarkable achievements, there were also moments that earned the German the reputation of a cold competitor, one with a cavalier attitude to sportsmanship.
Attempting to spear his Ferrari into the Williams of title rival Jacques Villeneuve at the season-ending Portuguese Grand Prix at Jerez in 1997, colliding with Damon Hill and thus winning the 1994 championship by a point, engineering wins throughout his time at Ferrari via dubious team orders, as he did to furious protest in Austria in 2002. But for all the controversy over 15 years in Formula One, Schumacher's talent, determination and redefinition of what it means to be a Formula One driver undoubtedly make him the most complete driver the sport has ever seen.
Given his F1 debut by Ireland's Eddie Jordan at Spa in 1991, he stunned the sport by qualifying the car in sixth. Immediately poached by Flavio Briatore's Benetton, Schumacher took his first win at Spa in 1992, followed two years later by the first of back-to-back titles before joining Ferrari at the end of the 1995 season. After four difficult years, he delivered Ferrari's first driver's title in 21 years in 2000 and then added four more in a row.
In 2005 Alonso became the sport's youngest champion as Ferrari suffered a troubled year. Now with just two points separating both men, few would doubt Schumacher's ability to claim an eighth title and exit the sport on the highest note possible when the season ends in Brazil on 22nd October.
