an open letter to michael schumacher.

i have to say it: thank you, michael schumacher. i suppose that it's too late, but i can see now why so many people have entrusted their very souls in you. while i lived in ridicule for supporting teams such as williams and mclaren, i always considered my friends who supported you and your ilk as glory chasers. but, ironically, at the end of it all, i've been proven wrong. thank you, thank you, thank you. you are the man.

sure, you might've taken damon out. the same for jacques, all those years ago. i mean, come on; williams, my friend.

but today, you proved that you'd never back down from a fight, no matter how unsurmountable the odds.

i'm not even going to bother posting photos of the race because they wouldn't do you justice. i'm sincerely proud of being able to witness your final race, and i'm gloating at the fact that i can tell my grandchildren that i watched michael schumacher's last race, despite them probably associating the statement with senility.

i'd also like to take the chance to bring upon why i love formula one like i do; it's not just about fast cars, going around in circles. it's about the blood, sweat and tears invested into building the perfect racing machine, and the men bold enough to stake their lives on it. man and machine meld into one. poetry in motion.

the technical aspects are just an aspect of it. formula one requires regimented discipline and training that us ordinary folk could never aspire to adhere to. formula one is a prime example of man at his very best: pushing all limits and breaking through.

and you, herr schumacher, are the prime example of what racing excellence is. i wish you all the best.

you really do know how to drive with your pants on fire.

my generation salutes you for 16 years of gleeful madness.

thanks for the memories.