The legions of Michael Schumacher's German fans have been going
through a painful withdrawal process since the seven-times world
champion retired in October.
Four new books about Schumacher published since their hero hung
up his Ferrari crash helmet after a scintillating final drive in
Brazil at the end of the 2006 season are making the transition to
the post-Schumi era a bit less painful.
While many of the details of his 16-year Formula One career,
record-setting seven championships and 91 Grand Prix wins are well
known, the books nevertheless offer illuminating insights about
Schumacher and his decision to go out as one of the best.
"I kept having to push myself to tests or appointments that I
didn't really want to be going to any more," Schumacher reveals
with unusual candour in "Michael Schumacher" by Sabine Kehm about
his flagging interest in 2006.
The book by Kehm, his press spokeswoman and confidant for eight
years, is easily the best of the bunch.
The three others are: "Michael Schumacher - The end of an era"
by Karin Sturm; "King Schumi - His Life, His Victories, His Tears"
by Helmut Uhl; and "Thanks Schumi! The Michael Schumacher Story" by
Willy Knupp.
While pictures and behind-the-scenes images are a central
element of all four books Kehm's fascinating narrative is hard to
put down.
"I'm not talking about the races or the race weekend work. I'm
talking about all the other stuff...the everyday work," Schumacher
tells Kehm, explaining in depth his growing fatigue and the origins
of his decision to quit last year at 37.
Boring training
"I always had to go all out in testing. That's the only way to
make progress. But going to the limit all the time begins to erode
your strength.
"After Bahrain, Malaysia and Australia, I started asking myself
how I had managed to keep it up in all the years in the past. I
often counted the minutes until I could go home. I don't know if
that's the normal wear and tear but tests all year long really wore
me down. I was exhausted, more so than in the past."
He said that he realised he "didn't have the motivation any
more" for all the preparations needed and bemoaned "training
methods that bore you to death".
Schumacher revealed he began leaning towards quitting just
before the first 2006 race in Bahrain - after equalling Ayrton
Senna's record of 65 pole positions.
"I always got very emotional when confronted with the history of
Ayrton," said Schumacher. "Obviously you don't want to admit that
and you try to hide your emotions so you don't show the others
you're vulnerable.
"But it happened and I knew we would have a good season, and I
had the feeling that now would be a good point to retire. After
that it felt more and more like the right decision."
Schumacher said he told Ferrari team manager Jean Todt after
Bahrain that he wanted to quit. He said Todt accepted it but told
him to think about it for a while. Later, Ferrari said the
announcement had to wait until September.
"I personally would have preferred to have announced it sooner,
but Ferrari traditionally does that sort of thing at Monza," he
said. "I didn't have any problem with that...At least I wouldn't
have to keep saying ridiculous things or evade questions."
Gruff coolness
Schumacher said he was glad he stepped out while journalists and
fans were "still asking 'But why now?' rather than 'Why is he still
driving? He's too old and too slow'." In the end he was surprised
how easy it was to tell the world he was quitting.
Kehm portrays Schumacher as a sensitive and shy man. She said
his awkward attempts early in his career to conceal and overcome
his aversion to the spotlight with a "gruff coolness" made him
appear "pig-headed, aggressive, and unfriendly".
"Every time he's appears in public he has to overcome his inner
self," she writes. "He's reserved and never wants to be at the
centre of attention. But he also doesn't want anyone to notice his
lack of confidence."
Kehm said Schumacher always struggled with fan adulation and
recalls how upset he was when a small boy burst into tears as he
was about to get an autograph. Kehm said Schumacher was "deeply
shaken", stroked the boy's hair quickly and ran back to his trailer
to sit down and regain his composure.
"It hurt him when people called him a machine, a robot or a
computer even though he would never admit it," she wrote. "He's in
essence a sensitive...and introverted man."
The books by Uhl and Knupp are fact-filled tributes for adoring
fans. Uhl has come up with some interesting statistics:
Schumacher spent a total of 5.6 years on the road, away from his
family, testing, racing and at sponsor events. He drove 361,500
kilometers in Formula One cars in tests and races, burning 252,000
liters of fuel and 15,800 tires.
(China Daily via Agencies March 14, 2007)