As you probably know, Mercedes F1 has signed with Lewis Hamilton for the next season to replace Michael Schumacher, who just announced he is retiring from the sport for the second, and final, time. They brought back Schumi from retirement in 2009, but their three years together was nothing but disappointment. Michael didn’t act anything like a seven-time world champion, and Mercedes never seemed able to make the car he wanted.

There is no denying Schumacher’s decision to come back to F1 after his first retirement was totally wrong. But that won’t affect the respect the entire motorsport world has for the man. It should have worked, you know. Mercedes put together a dream team with Norbert Haug and Ross Brawn at the top, and Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg as the drivers. On paper, it was a championship winning combination. Every time Brown and Schumacher worked together they ended up as world champions. But sadly, they just didn’t live up to the expectations.

Schumacher will be officially retiring at the end of the 2012 season during a press conference at the Suzuka circuit in Japan. There are rumors that Mercedes has offered him a non-racing job. We won’t be surprised at all if some day we see Schumi running the entire business.

Michael Schumacher

I have decided to retire from Formula One at the end of the season, although I am still able to compete with the best drivers of the world. This is something that makes me proud, and this is part of why I never regretted my comeback. I can be happy with my performance and the fact that I was continuously raising my game during the last three years. But then, at some point it is time to say goodbye.

Already during the past weeks and months I was not sure if I would still have the motivation and energy which is necessary to go on; and it is not my style to do anything which I am not 100% convinced about. With today’s decision I feel released from those doubts. In the end, it is not my ambition to just drive around but to fight for victories; and the pleasure of driving is nourished by competitiveness.

I said at the end of 2009 that I want to be measured by my success, and this is why I had a lot of criticism in the past three years which partly was justified. It is without doubt that we did not achieve our goal to develop a world championship fighting car within those years. It is also without doubt that I cannot provide a long-term perspective to anyone. But then it is also clear that I can still be very happy about my overall achievements in Formula One.

In the past six years I have learned a lot, also about me, and I am thankful for it; for example, that you can open yourself up without losing focus. That losing can be both more difficult and more instructive than winning; something I had lost out of sight sometimes in earlier years. That you have to appreciate to be able to do what you love. That you have to live your convictions. I have opened my horizon, and I am at ease with myself.

I would like to thank Daimler, Mercedes-Benz and the team for their trust. But I also would like to thank all my friends, partners and companions, who over many good years in motorsport supported me. But most of all I would like to thank my family for standing always by my side, giving me the freedom to live my convictions and sharing my joy.