On this date: Fernando Alonso secures the world championship, while Michael Schumacher bids farewell to Formula 1.

“I don’t know what we can do,” the German commented post-qualifying. “I can’t predict how the race will unfold. It’s tough to make forecasts, but I will give it my all. Starting from 10th makes it much harder, but I’ll certainly try.”

“Let’s not forget that in the past, Michael has been able to win races even from further back on the grid,” remarked Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn.

This assertion was misleading – in the previous 248 races, Schumacher had only won once from outside the top 10 – yet the Ferrari driver demonstrated precisely why Brawn made such a statement.

He advanced from 10th to seventh on the opening lap, then passed ex-team-mate Rubens Barrichello and executed an outside maneuver on Giancarlo Fisichella to claim fifth on lap eight – putting him right behind his championship contender – but a minor collision with the Renault resulted in a rear-left puncture.

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari

Schumacher found himself in 20th place, trailing race-leading teammate Felipe Massa by 69 seconds, with his gap to Alonso exactly one minute. By lap 27, he had navigated through the back of the field, overtaking Tiago Monteiro, Robert Doornbos, Nick Heidfeld, and Robert Kubica, while undercutting other drivers and capitalizing on retirements, positioning himself fifth before his second pit stop.

Rejoining the race in seventh, Schumacher passed Barrichello once more and pressured Fisichella into a lock-up at Turn 1 to secure fifth on lap 63. Massa’s dominant performance meant he was still 33 seconds ahead, but Alonso in second was only eight seconds from the recovering Ferrari.

Schumacher ran out of time to finish on the podium but executed a precise overtaking maneuver on McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen on the antepenultimate lap to take fourth place, while Alonso clinched the championship.

Fernando Alonso, Renault, Michael Schumacher, Ferrari

“The race was chaotic; I think that’s the right term,” Schumacher reflected. “We had an outstanding car today; based on our pure speed, we could have lapped everyone. So, I must say it was the ideal conclusion to the season regarding car performance, but it didn’t unfold well for me.”

Alonso celebrated a “fantastic way” to conclude his tenure at Renault, which he referred to as “my family in Formula 1,” ahead of his eagerly anticipated switch to McLaren for 2007.

“I will cherish these memories with them for the rest of my life, and finishing the last race like this is something you never dream of, or even attempt to dream of, because it exceeds all expectations,” he remarked.

Fernando Alonso, Renault

With that trajectory, the Spaniard aspired to follow in Ayrton Senna's footsteps. “Joining McLaren and never racing for Ferrari reminds me a lot of Senna,” he told TV channel Telecinco. “He won three titles, and for me, to retire with three and achieve what he accomplished would be the goal of my career.” Two decades later, Alonso is still in pursuit of that third championship in F1.

Meanwhile, Schumacher reflected on his illustrious career, just a month after announcing his retirement at Monza.

With Ferrari bringing in Raikkonen for 2007, Schumacher’s continuation would have meant sacrificing young Massa, so he opted against it. But was there a possibility of returning in the future?

“Formula 1 is always evolving,” the 37-year-old replied. “The technology, the engines, the regulations, the tracks. Once you're out, you’re out.”

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari

Ultimately, the lure of competition proved irresistible, and Schumacher made a comeback for a three-year period at Mercedes from 2010 to 2012, during which he struggled to keep pace with teammate Nico Rosberg, achieving just one podium while securing pole position in his final Monaco race.

However, within the Schumacher camp, a prevailing emotion upon his initial retirement was relief.

When asked by German network RTL what brought her joy, his wife, Corinna Schumacher, responded: “That we are all going home healthy, that nothing serious happened over the years, and that we got away with only one broken leg.”

Regrettably, while the seven-time world champion emerged physically intact from his racing career, he suffered severe injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013. Now 55 years old, he has not been seen publicly since.