Highlights

Schumacher targets team title as leaving present for Ferrari

(AFP)
Updated: 2006-10-17 15:50

Michael Schumacher has vowed to go full throttle in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, the final race of the season and his career, saying Ferrari deserve the constructors' title as a leaving present.

Germany's seven-time world champion Schumacher has already conceded the driver's title to Spaniard Fernando Alonso, although it is still mathematically possible for him to win, but wants to help Ferrari win the team title as a thank you for their efforts.

"The boys deserve this title. People who rise up after a difficult time and make it back to the top, working with so much passion and enthusiasm, deserve the utmost respect," Schumacher said on his homepage www.michael-schumacher.rtl.de.

"They have my respect and are the best in their field. The constructors championship would be fully deserved in my eyes."

Renault are the favourites to win the team title with Alonso's team having a nine-point lead heading into the final race at Sao Paulo.

"We will go on the full offensive and want a one-two," said Schumacher. "That is the only chance we have to win this title and that is all that we can do. Everything else is out of our hands."

For Schumacher, 37, the race will be his last of his career and he hopes to sign off in style with victory.

"Of course I am aware that after close to 16 years this will be my last race. It goes without saying that I want to end with a good race," said the German driver.

Schumacher is the most successful Formula One driver in history after winning seven titles. He won back-to-back titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995 before collecting five crowns in a row with Ferrari from 2000 onwards.