And that's the way the cookie crumbles...

On the 22nd of October 2006, the most illustrious formula one career of all time time to a spectacular end as football great Pele waved the chequered flag to end the Brazillian grand prix at Interlagos in Sao Palo. Michael Schumacher drove one of the best races of his life demonstrating that he was retiring very much at the peak of his career.
Starting from 10th on the grid after having fuel pressure problems in qualifying, Michael managed to get upto 6th in the opening few laps. He suffered a left rear tyre puncture just as he overtook Fisichella to get into 4th place in the beginning of lap 8. After having to do almost the entre lap on just three wheels Schumacher rejoined last and a heavily compromised pit strategy. From then on it was the two Ferrari's of Massa leading the race and Michael making his way up the grid trading fastest laps, creating new records all the time.
It was only a case of finishing for Alonso as he was never really under any kind of pressure to push. He finished about 30 sec behind Massa in second place. Massa went on to win the second grand prix of his life thus becoming the first Brazillian to win his home grand prix in the last 13 years. The last man to do so was Ayrton Senna back in 1993.
Schumi finished 4th after pulling off an amazing overtaking manoeuvre on Kimi on the second last lap of the race.
Schumacher was given an hounorary trophy before the start of the race in recognition of his achievements over the past decade and a half. A debutant in 1991 in Spa, Belgium and a grand prix winner at the same circuit the very next year, Michael holds a string of records that are next to impossible to match.
It would've been befitting if Schumi would've taken the chequered flag in the final race of his career and helped Ferrari atleast take home the constructors championship, but it was not to be. After all these years of domination and an amazing fightback by Ferrari in 2006 the surreal is set to happen. 2007 will start sans Schumacher Sr. It's something that sounds simply wierd and out of order, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.