Michael Schumacher quotes:

Those who have come into Formula One without experiencing cars devoid of electronic aids will find it tough. To control 800 horse power relying just on arm muscles and foot sensitivity can turn out to be a dangerous exercise.

You arrive at Formula One being very skeptical, how far can your talent deal with all this, and then you understand those guys are human and pretty reasonable, and finally succeeding in winning your first race, in circumstance as such, it was just an amazing moment.

I have what you might call the South Pole and the North Pole. I have my team and my work, which I do on one side, and I have my family and my home on the other side. Both have nothing really to do with each other.

In sport there is never any moment that is the same as the other. I have been in Formula One for 12 years, and out of that I had one year with the perfect car.

I'm Michael Schumacher. I don't need to test my driving ability.

Ferrari always tries to get the best possible drivers, and my fellow team members have always been highly promising people.

I retired simply because I didn't have the passion and motivation anymore; I was tired. At the time I thought, 'Well, I had a great time, there is the end.' At some moment, there is the right time to call it an end.

My time with Ferrari was wonderful. I have found friends and had experiences that I would not want to be without.

If you're lucky enough to be famous, then it's great if you can use your fame and the power your fame gives you to draw attention to things that really matter.

Just being a mediocre driver has never been my ambition. That's not my style.

I already tried that. Something heavy metal like. And sunglasses. But it didn't work; I went to the gas station and when I left the guy at the counter said, 'bye Mr Schumacher

The first thing, when I got the money, I knew I would support somebody. And the person I supported was my family. Because we were really in debt with the money. And - so I gave to my father this suitcase full of money. And he couldn't believe it. And that was something very special.

I will do everything I can to bring the Number One to Ferrari. The whole team and all the fans deserve it.

You try to hide your emotions, so as not to show weaknesses to others. I believe it's the same for every sportsman.

If you do things to the limit, and don't purposely go over that limit, then I think it's fine to do whatever you want. So long as you enjoy it. That's what's important.

When you are part of a community for 14 years, it inevitably shapes you. I will always have a part of Ferrari beside me; a part of my heart will always be red.

Your ups and downs in sports, I think they are as normal as daily life: One day you wake up and feel great, the next day you wake up and feel maybe less great.

I like working in a team, and at Ferrari there is always good cooperation.

You win a race, the next race it's a question mark. Are you still the best or not? That's what is funny. But that's what is interesting. And that's what is challenging. You have to prove yourself every time.

I decided on a vision. I think I maybe join Toyota at the midpoint of a project, whose long-term goal is winning world championships. Also I have my big ambition, the drivers' world championship. That is not abandoned - entirely the opposite. I am young enough and motivated enough to make a new start in order to reach this goal.

Nascar will certainly not be one of my challenges in the future.

In football, I need full concentration even though I really enjoy it.

I like to share my life, and spend time with someone I love. That has worked 100 per cent with my wife.

I hate to take compromises with a racing car. The more standard a car is, the more compromises you have to take.

I have really enjoyed my time at Ferrari, not just because of the successes.

Never think that success is down to your own performance alone. If you start listening only to yourself you take the first step back towards the bottom. The flowers of victory belong in many vases.

If I didn't even stand a chance of winning races and competing for the title, I don't think I would be that interested in continuing my career.

I didn't have statistics in my mind when I was racing. It was always a consequence - a nice consequence. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't the reason I was racing.

I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance.

When you start out in a team, you have to get the teamwork going and then you get something back.

People get excited around me and behave differently than they would normally. I don't feel different from anyone else, except that I drive a racing car round in circles faster than somebody else.

My kids are not known, and I think that is very important. So far they have lived a normal life, and will continue to do so. I feel they should have the possibility to live a free life without the burden of fame I have created.

Somehow I have managed to delay looking old. In reality I have good genes.

An engineer can look at the data, but he needs a translator from the cockpit - the driver - to understand it completely. For example, only the driver can tell you why he abruptly takes his foot off the gas pedal at a certain point. The data doesn't necessarily tell the engineer whether the driver made a mistake at that point or the car was acting up. The information the driver provides often helps determine the direction of development.

Every year we find something new, we go faster, and that's what Formula One is about .

Everyone is replaceable, including me.

Ferrari's only objective is to be at the top, in other words, to compete for the World Championship. That's our right. Winning is another matter. It wouldn't be a disgrace to come in second after a tough fight.

First, you have to finish.

I always thought records were there to be broken.

I cant really imagine life without Formula One,

I don't feel like promising big things to my fans. I'm not thinking about victory at all. I'll do my best to get on the podium at least, although I must admit I feel fairly pessimistic.

I have been a huge fan of America, as I find their way of life there is pretty unique, and I have enjoyed a lot of good times over there.

I have to say it's been tough to leave the Ferrari family, which has been a big part of my career.

I just want to be known as a very normal person and be treated as that and be able to walk down the street like anyone else.

I know what I am, and what I have to do in my profession, so I can handle the pressure. It's the way I think.

I think I was five when I had my real first go-kart.

If the sun were made of hamsters, the earth would be incinerated.

If you imagine how many years the other guys have been in my position Im in now, they have been motivated to get back and challenge the leaders, ... Theres no reason not to be motivated and I look forward very much to challenging again.

I'm not very comfortable with what people sometimes say or think about me - things I don't feel responsible for.

Let's put it this way, I like number seven.

Losing composure is pointless.

Mika Hakkinen was the best opponent (I've had) in terms of his quality, but the biggest admiration I had for him was we had 100% fight on track but a totally disciplined life off track. We respected each other highly and let each other live quietly.

Once something is a passion, the motivation is there.

Psychologically speaking, it's very important to be in good shape. I work in a sport that requires you to react quickly and be in excellent shape. Besides, things don't get easier as you get older.

Ross Brawn knows that I prefer to have odd race numbers.

Sometimes minor details can have a huge impact. If you don't devote 100 percent of your efforts to every detail, you immediately run into difficulties.

Technology has certainly reduced performance differences among drivers. Whereas a talented driver could get a half-second out of every lap in the past, nowadays talent makes up for only about one or two tenths of a second. But the driver is still the key factor.

The more precisely I can drive, the more I enjoy myself.

The switch from ten-cylinder to eight-cylinder engines means that each manufacturer has to redevelop its power train. Not all will manage to successfully combine performance with reliability the first time around. That could shake things up a bit when it comes team hierarchy.

When you're very successful, you become careless and try to turn many things into routine.

With this type of thing there are always different opinions and mine is that it is impossible to blame either one of us. [on a crash with Heidfeld]