Avenue Vine

“This is the right moment - this is my last Monza race. I have decided to retire from racing. It’s been an exceptional time that motorsport has given me and I have loved every moment - the good and bad. They are what make life so special.”

With reigning champion Fernando Alonso failing to score in Italy, Schumacher now trails the Spaniard by just two points in the drivers’ standings and has a very real chance of taking an eighth world title. “Now I would like to concentrate on the last three wins and finish it in style,” he added.

The speculation now starts over what role, if any, Schumacher might play at Ferrari next season, and who will form the team’s 2007 driver line-up.

Schumacher wins as Alonso suffers DNF

Michael Schumacher scored an emotional and dramatic 90th victory at Monza on Sunday afternoon, and closed to within two points of Fernando Alonso in their fight for the world championship.

Schumacher had to follow Kimi Raikkonen until the first pit stops, but took the lead by running two laps longer and thereafter never surrendered it. The Finn clung on to finish second, and Robert Kubica became the first Pole to finish on a Grand Prix podium with an excellent third place for BMW Sauber.

Alonso was headed for that final podium position after a feisty race, but was forced to retire when his engine exploded going into the first chicane on the 44th lap. Behind him, Giancarlo Fisichella shored up some of the damage for Renault, who lost their lead in the constructors’ championship to Ferrari. The Italian ran to a one-stop refuelling strategy, where most of his rivals opted for two.

Jenson Button took fifth after a strong run for Honda, who also had Rubens Barrichello in sixth after a one-stop run.

Jarno Trulli brought his Toyota home seventh ahead of Nick Heidfeld, who could have been a podium contender but for a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. He just held off unlucky Felipe Massa who spent most of his race bottled up behind Kubica and then Barrichello, and flat-spotted his right front Bridgestone in the aftermath of Alonso’s dramatic exit and had to make an extra pit stop for a replacement.

Christian Klien and David Coulthard one-stopped their Red Bulls to 11th and 12th places after a race-long fight, heading home Scott Speed and Tonio Liuzzi who did likewise in their Toro Rossos. They were followed by Toyota’s Ralf Schumacher, Takuma Sato in the Super Aguri and Christijan Albers' Midland.

Tiago Monteiro had to retire his Midland, and Williams’ Nico Rosberg, Super Aguri’s Sakon Yamamoto and McLaren’s Pedro de la Rosa also failed to finish.

Immediately after the race Ferrari confirmed that Schumacher will retire at the end of the season, and that Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa will spearhead their 2007 campaign.

Further details and full race report to follow--MAYBE.

FIA