Why I think Michael Schumacher should retire now

[Yoong Montoya]

I just found this quote from an interview between Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher:

DH: Somewhere out there is the next Michael Schumacher - somewhere out there, lurking in the shadows. Like when you came into Formula 1, Ayrton [Senna] was around; it happens to every champion that there's someone, a successor. What would be interesting would be to see something like that happening again. Because, currently, you're pretty dominant in F1.
MS: Hmm. It's something you need to... Well, it'll be a new experience for me, because my career has always been me being young, starting up, and fighting against older people and trying to beat them. And being reasonably successful. Then at some stage I'll probably have to have the new experience where a new young guy is coming. And I never like these comparisons - you know, to talk about a new Schumacher or a new Senna - because if there's a new guy coming then he'll have a new character. He'll be a new independent person and he'll make his own name. But one day that will happen. My father always tells me, "If that happens, you'd better stop," because then it may become dangerous, he means. And I think he's right, because then you may try to extend your limits to keep up with what he's doing. And that can be dangerous.

(Full interview can be found here: http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/h...120100_ii.html)

Seeing what happened to poor Ayrton Senna in 1994, that's the main reason why I think Schumacher should retire now. If he carries on, I fear he will end up hurting himself trying to keep up with the likes of Montoya and Raikkonen.