F1 2026 marks 20 years since the final year racing in Ferrari red for Michael Schumacher, truly the end of an era.<\/p>\n
Firmly established as an icon of Ferrari<\/a> and Formula 1 \u2013 then the only seven-time World Champion \u2013 Schumacher and Ferrari had its last hoorah in 2006, though subsequent reports hinted at Schumacher\u2019s first retirement not being a decision completely of his own making.<\/p>\n Michael Schumacher Ferrari farewell 2006 legacy revisited<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Schumacher and Ferrari unleashed an unheard of domination upon Formula 1 in the late 1990s and early 2000s.<\/p>\n Between 1999-2004, Ferrari won six consecutive Constructors\u2019 titles, and Schumacher five Drivers\u2019 crowns. That took Schumacher to seven overall, a tally unmatched until Lewis Hamilton joined the legendary German at the summit.<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso and Renault had defeated the Schumacher and Ferrari empire, weakened by changes to the tyre rules which proved to favour the Michelin runners.<\/p>\n But, a year later, Schumacher was out for revenge, and the 2006 title.<\/p>\n When Renault saw its mass damper solution banned in-season by the FIA, and suffered for it, Schumacher was on the charge.<\/p>\n Thanks to his 91st and final win, taken at the Chinese Grand Prix, Schumacher was now in the lead of the Drivers\u2019 Championship.<\/p>\n But, we knew by this stage that regardless of what happened, Schumacher would not be at the wheel next season.<\/p>\n After winning at Monza, holy ground for Ferrari, Schumacher announced in the post-race press conference that he would retire at the end of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cI had always said that the decision to retire would be his alone, but now that decision has been taken, I feel a sense of sadness,\u201d said Ferrari President and CEO, Luca di Montezemolo, at the time in reaction to that announcement.<\/p>\n Yet, in the fullness of time, that di Montezemolo claim has been shrouded in uncertainty.<\/p>\n Various reports have credited di Montezemolo as the driving force behind Schumacher\u2019s Ferrari exit and first F1 retirement.<\/p>\n Schumacher\u2019s vacating of the Ferrari seat opened the door for Kimi Raikkonen. He won the 2007 Drivers\u2019 title, and remains Ferrari\u2019s most recent champion.<\/p>\n More retro Formula 1 from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n F1 facts that sound fake: Schumacher gives Ferrari a fright, record McLaren grid penalty<\/a><\/p>\n Jacques Villeneuve explains why he was never intimidated by Michael Schumacher<\/a><\/p>\n 20 years since Fernando Alonso was champion<\/p>\n Yes, it honestly is 20 years since Fernando Alonso won his second, and perhaps final, Drivers\u2019 Championship.<\/p>\n Contending with a weakened R26, and a rampaging Schumacher, Alonso still held firm in 2006 to go back-to-back.<\/p>\n It is mind-boggling that 20 years later, Alonso is still racing in Formula 1, still regarded as a top talent as he approaches 45\u2026 but still is only a two-time World Champion.<\/p>\n Alonso left Renault for McLaren after 2006.<\/p>\n With subsequent Renault and McLaren returns, a Ferrari stint, a sabbatical and now Aston Martin, there is a strong belief in the paddock that Alonso could have won more titles, if career choices had been kinder to him.<\/p>\n Other honourable F1 2006 mentions<\/p>\n On the topic of World Champions, 2006 was also the end of the road for Jacques Villeneuve, who, replaced by Robert Kubica mid-season, declared that it was \u201ctime to get on with the rest of my life\u201d.<\/p>\n A future World Champion, Nico Rosberg, debuted.<\/p>\n We also saw the birth of Toro Rosso in 2006, after Red Bull\u2019s takeover of the beloved, perennial backmarker team Minardi.<\/p>\n These days, Toro Rosso is of course known as Racing Bulls, and has developed the likes of Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull\u2019s pair of four-time World Champions.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n