Schumacher confirms retirement plan

Michael Schumacher has confirmed that he will retire from Formula One for a second time at the end of the current season.

The former seven-time Formula One World Champion has failed to live up to expectations since his sensational return to the sport with Mercedes three years ago.

The German driver has shown flashes of his former brilliance, but has more frequently shown his inadequacies, most recently ploughing into the back of Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne in Singapore resulting in a grid penalty for this weekends Japanese Grand Prix.

Speculation over his future intensified last month when Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone appeared to let the cat out of the bag with his comments about the Germans imminent departure. Then with the news last week that Lewis Hamilton would complete the move from McLaren to Mercedes to join up with Nico Rosberg, Schumacher's position in the sport looked increasingly doubtful.

Sauber had shown an early interest, but the chances of a relatively small team giving Schumacher the enthusiasm to continue appeared to always be unlikely.

'I've decided to retire at the end of the year. Although I'm still able and capable to compete with the best drivers that are around but at some point it's good to say goodbye and that's what I'm doing at the end of the season - and it might this time even be for ever! he told the media in at Suzuka.

'During the past month I was not sure if I still had the motivation and energy which is necessary to go on. It is not my style to do something that I'm not 100% feeling for.

'With today's decision I feel released obviously from those doubts and in the end my ambition to fight for victories and the pleasure of driving is nourished by competitiveness.'

The 43-year-old will retire with seven World titles [1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004], 91 Grand Prix victories, 155 podium finishes and 68 pole positions, unless of course he can add to those stats during his swansong races with Mercedes.