Should the Ferrari ace bow out on top?

Widely regarded as Formula One's greatest ever driver, Schumacher has been virtually untouchable for the past three seasons.

But Hill, who formed a bitter rivalry with Schumacher in the 1990s, says the German has been hurt by the boos that have followed his Ferrari team around the world this season.

Schumacher already has a 46-point lead in F1 Championship this season, and is poised to equal Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five drivers' titles.

Should he leave on a high?

This debate is now closed. A selection of your e-mails appear below.

Controversy and unpopularity have always been part of Schumacher's career. This has never forced him out before and it won't force him out now. Michael Schumacher will go on and on.
Matthew, Northern Ireland

I can understand people's frustration as seeing Michael as a dominant force but people like him come along only once every few years and are miles apart from others. He should be given credit for what he has achieved as not many people can do that. I wish him all the best
Bobby, UK

Who is Hill to advise retirement, he certainly outstayed his welcome in F1!
Leanne Winfield, England

Schumacher must be bored, after thrashing the upstart Montoya, and with no new talent (hyped or non-hyped) on the horizon. The only challenge would be to put together a team and car with his name on it, win his sixth championship, and then ride off into the sunset...
Dom, Canada

Michael Schumacher has never been my favourite driver, that position belongs to Stirling Moss, but I do respect him and consider him to be the best driver of the last decade.

I don't think he should retire. He is still at his peak and can be a role model to up and coming younger drivers; although this is an attribute which he does not seem to have shown much interest in the past. He has so much driving/racing talent that should teach the next generation of Formula One drivers.
R. Gunston, Canada

As much as I admire Hill as a driver I don't think a lot of his comments. He was a driver that got scared of being in a car and really just lost his bottle. Schumacher is a fantastic driver maybe the best ever; we may never be able to tell. Hill is just jealous that he was never as good as that.

If and when Schumacher decides to retire it will be his own decision and people should just except that and leave him alone to do what he wants.
Alex Walkley, England

I think that F-1 lost some part of its 'magic' because of Schumi's invincibility; no other driver can match him. However, any driver who really loves his job must race while he feels he's competitive and Schumi probably loves racing. So, I doubt he'll retire soon.
Gui, Brazil

I guess Damon just felt that Eddie Irvine shouldn't have a monopoly on drivel!
Dave K, UK

He may have his defects, but F1 without Schumacher, would be even duller than it is now.
Rob, England

F1 isn't like football, or tennis, or basketball - the stakes are so much higher, life and death only a second apart. There's no guarantee of living to see the chequered flag, never mind retirement. Think about Ayrton Senna - the best in the world, and he couldn't keep himself alive when his car failed under him. As Schumacher gets older, and watches his children grow up, he'll probably ask himself whether the risk is worth the reward when there's nothing left to prove.
Sheila, UK

I don't believe Schumacher is unduly fazed by the recent boos & criticism. As far as he and the team are concerned the matter is over and done with. I sure Michael would love to exceed Fangio's record and he is not one to recede on a contract.
Clive, UK

Having followed formula 1 since the 70's I am very disappointed by the overall F1 offering. Yes, I (finally) admit that Schumacher is the master of the current technology and streets ahead of his opposition. Whether this puts him alongside the great drivers of the past is another question and not one to be answered here.

I do, however, think F1 has a greater challenge. Teams are finding the huge levels of sponsorship required to run a car very hard to come by. TV coverage of events is very limited (for financial reasons) to the point were good coverage in central Europe is both hard to come by and when coverage is found its quality is often variable.

Personally, I am finding myself watching a greater range of motor sport and have started doing it live. Events such as touring cars and the greats like the Le Mans 24 hours make much better viewing. They are more accessible, being more regular and often local with circuit admission prices being affordable. There is very little glitz as the focus of the events is high quality exciting motor sport.
Pete, Netherlands

I'm deeply disappointed to read some of the comments written here by so called lovers of F1. Shuey is by far and away the master of his art, and simply goes out every other week to put his life on the line and entertain us. If he was British I'm sure we wouldn't have these cries for him to retire.
Richard Hanson, England

The only thing Schumacher is bored of is having to keep repeating that he does not intend to retire before the end of 2004.
Pete, UK

I don't think he will retire soon, because he wants to keep setting records and then breaking them. He is the best driver there has been for years, and the sport would miss him greatly if he did retire.
Leo, Scotland

I certainly don't think that Schumacher will retire after equalling Fangio's record. He's shown before how hungry he is to setting new records, and he will definitely want to go down in history as the most successful driver in Formula One.

He knows he can do it, so why would he ever consider not achieving something that is within his grasp?
Alizay Hamid, Pakistan

I think Damon has just stated what he would like to see happen as a jealous former rival. Without him F1 would be dull. He is still the hungriest driver and I have no doubt he will carry on and smash all remaining records.
Sal, UK

I don't think Schumacher should bow out at the end of this season as he still has a lot more to give. Certain people would be happy for him to go as it would make their dismal performances look a bit more exciting.

It will be a sorry day for F1 when the master does hang his racing suit up. I for one hope it isn't for a few more seasons yet.
Sam Bilton, England

Much as I respect Damon Hill for his driving skills, I am afraid I cannot say the same for his opinion about Schumacher and Ferrari. Nothing has happened so far even to hint at an early retirement for Schumi.

Damon Hill's comments are just wishful thinking. Personally, I believe that Schumacher will become the greatest F1 driver in 2004, when he will win his sixth championship.
Manos, UK

Schumacher will not retire. He is the dominant force in the sport, and he is not the kind of guy to quit while he still has a chance of winning. I can see him going on for another five years.
Felicity Jemson, England

There may be something in Damon's comments (whatever his motives for making them). Michael has nothing to prove in terms of his position as the best driver of his generation. It must be hard to maintain motivation at the level required.

The longer he carries on, the greater the chance of others posing more of a threat to him. This is what happened to Fangio with the rise of Moss and Hawthorn. The smart move would be to do what Stewart did and get out at the height of his powers before any decline sets in. Having said that, I would be surprised if he retired before the end of 2003.
Allen, UK

Schumacher already knows he is the best in the world. Driving for the best team with the best car on the circuit just makes the sport a bit bland. I think he should quit Ferrari and join another struggling team such as Jaguar. It'll be more of a challenge than winning another world title at Ferrari.
Stan, UK

Schumacher MUST be bored. He has had no-one to compete with him for a few years now and the up and coming drivers are yet to make their mark. It would be terrible for him to have another Silverstone-like accident with dire consequences for no reason apart from knocking up token successes.
Richard Philips, UK

Schumacher is one of the greatest talents in sport, let alone motor racing. Despite the controversies, he sets the standards to which others aspire. I hope he continues to race for some time to come.
David, UK

I think Damon could spend his time doing something more useful. As all the main players at Ferrari are contracted until 2004, I can't see any of them leaving early.
Tim Allen, England

Why should Schumacher quit? He has every opportunity to surpass the record of five championships and there isn't a car to touch the Ferrari this year.

Perhaps he would consider going to one of the teams in the middle of the pack (say BAR) and turning them around in the same way he did at Ferrari? That might put the joy back into his racing.
Mike, UK

It is getting too boring to see Schumi win one race after another for the past year or so. I think he should go out of Ferrari and move to a lesser ranked team. Then we will have a great fight to the Drivers' Championship, rather than drab and boring seasons which we've seen for the past two years.
Naren, India

I support David Coulthard, but you can't deny that Schuey is a top driver. In Austria he was doing as he was told, and it would be a massive loss to F1 if he were to go.
Matt, England

As Schumacher likes to break records rather than equal them, I'll be surprised if he retires before winning - or attempting to win - the championship six times.

As long as Ferrari continue to provide him with a competitive car, I expect to see him on the grid next year. However, if he were to retire soon I'd quite like to see how Coulthard would fare with a Ferrari drive. Rather well I suspect.
Chris B, England

I'm surprised that Damon Hill of all people shoots his mouth of in such fashion. After Schumacher's ruthless domination in 2001 and 2002, there is simply no reason to believe that he can't win in 2003 and break Fangio's long-standing record.

His domination is increasing, and he certainly isn't getting any weaker. Damon needs to be reminded that he was the man who retired when no one would miss him, and went out of the sport in poor fashion.
Allen, USA

The actions of Michael Schumacher and the Ferrari team in Austria were only the latest in a string of controversies the defending champion has faced throughout his career.

Retiring gracefully while at the top of his game, and opening the way for more competitive racing, may be the only thing he can do now to ensure history remembers him as a five-time World Champion, and not a driver of questionable judgement and sportsmanship.
Lee M Janotta, USA

Schumacher is gradually receiving more boos than cheers, and I think he should bow out. If he retires at the end of this season the next F1 season will be more interesting.
George Nipah, England

How exactly did Damon come to this conclusion? He got booed after the Austrian Grand Prix - so what? People have forgotten about that now - look at the reception the Ferrari pair got in Germany.

Michael will go on to and break the record of five championships, hang up his racing overalls and sit back in the knowledge that he is the best ever.
D Morgan, England

Damon Hill is off the mark with his comments over Schumacher's retirement. I can imagine it's all become a bit too easy and boring having no competition, but I'm sure he will want to crack Fangio's record. Who wouldn't?
Gary Horwell, Holland

Damon Hill has become an increasingly bizarre character since he left F1, and his dislike of Michael is plain. His comments are just intended to get him publicity as nobody takes any notice of him.
J Davey, England

If Schumi does retire, he won't be alone. He is part of the Todt-Schumacher-Brawn-Byrne axis that has become the dominant force in Formula One. My guess is that they'll all retire together, more likely in 2004 (when all of their contracts expire) than this year.
Dave N, UK

Much as I respect Damon Hill's opinion, I do not believe Schumacher will retire when he has equalled Fangio's record of five titles. He will want to set his own record - and that means six titles at least.
Linda, UK