RETIRING FORMULA ONE great Michael Schumacher is determined to savour his farewell when he races for the last time this weekend.
The seven-time world champion bows out of the sport for a second time at the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday.
Six years ago the then-Ferrari driver was gunning for his eighth title, but fell short to Fernando Alonso and departed the sport on a sad note.
But this time, the 43-year-old doesn’t have the added pressure of going for glory and is just concentrating on enjoying the 308th and final grand prix of his decorated career.
“Interlagos is the right place to round off my career because so much of the fascination of Formula One is rooted there,” he said.
“I always enjoy the enthusiasm of the fans, and it’s simply a great circuit which has seen many memorable events and always produces spectacular races as the unique layout guarantees plenty of action.
“For me, it’s also the circuit that brings back my memories of Ayrton (Senna). My departure from Formula One will probably be less emotional for me this time than in 2006, when we were still fighting for the championship and everything was much more intense.
“This time round, I will be able to pay more attention to my farewell and hopefully savour it too.”
Schumacher has struggled in his second stint in F1 with just one podium finish in 57 races for Mercedes and is currently in the worst run of his career with six consecutive pointless races. Ahead of his final race, the German paid tribute to his fans over the course of his career and hopes to go out with a strong performance.
“I have had fantastic years in Formula One and a lot of support from fans around the world, and I wish to particularly thank them for that,” he said. ”Of course, I would be happiest if I could say goodbye with a strong race, and I am sure we will be doing everything we can to make it happen.”
