Email
Print
ShareAlonso's victory at Suzuka has sealed the championship for the Spaniard. So thinks, Michael Schumacher himself. However, if Schumacher's past performances in a championship clinching race are anything to go by, his fans can hope for a miracle at Brazil -- the Ferrari driver clinching an unprecedented eighth title.
Gods were smiling on Schumacher when he won his first championship. Gods may do the same again in his last Grand Prix.
Twelve years ago, a young Schumacher won his first championship in 1994. That fateful year, already marred by the death of the legendary Ayrton Senna, saw accusations being levelled at Schumacher's Benetton team for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The world first saw Schumacher's insatiable hunger to win in the same year which ironically has given enough ammunition for his critics.
Damon Hill, driving for Williams Renault which was a formidable team then, was Schumacher's closest rival. Going into the last round at the Australian Grand Prix, Schumacher had a single point lead over Hill. During the race, Hill saw an opportunity to overtake Schumacher.
However, while trying to pull of this manoeuvre at a corner, Schumacher turned in, causing the two cars to collide which meant that both Schumacher and Hill had to retire. With Williams registering no official complaint, Schumacher won the championship by the virtue of a single point.
Speaking about the incident Damon Hill wrote in his book, "There are two things that set Michael apart from the rest of the drivers in Formula One -- his sheer talent and his attitude. I am full of admiration for the former, but the latter leaves me cold."
There was a sense of déjà vu three years later. The only difference being, in 1997, instead of Damon Hill it was Jacques Villeneuve who was competing with the German for the championship while going into the last round.
Similar to 1994, a win for either Villeneuve or Schumacher at the European grand Prix would have guaranteed the championship. The French Canadian, with a faster Williams Renault attempted to overtake Schumacher's Ferrari while approaching a corner.
Like 1994, Schumacher again collided with Villeneuve. Unlike 1994 though, Schumacher found himself at the wrong end of the stick. While Schumacher had to retire, Villeneuve managed to finish the race in third position and won the championship.
While these two episodes showed Schumacher's killer instinct, this year not only is the points gap bigger but the German has a formidable opponent in Alonso as well as the Renault boss Flavio Briatore who is a master tactician himself.
In fact it was Briatore who was Schumacher's boss at Benetton in 1994 when Schumacher won his maiden championship.
And unlike 1994 and 1997, the equations for this season while going into the last race are completely different. Schumacher simply cannot risk an accident. He has to ensure his victory first and pray that, some way or the other, Alonso doesn't score a point.
The problem for Schumacher this time is that his fate doesn't lie in his own hands alone. Precisely why Schumacher's retirement may not have a fairy tale ending.
