Just being a mediocre driver has never been my ambition. Thats not my — Michael Schumacher

"He has everything to lose and nothing to gain, so its very logical and sensible to retire while hes on top of his game, but knowing Michael, everything he has been able to do, I think he would still have the energy to continue."

"I always said that the decision to retire would be his alone but now that decision has been taken I feel a sense of sadness. We have lived through some unforgettable times together, some good and some bad, achieving results that will be hard to equal."

"He will be missed as a friend and colleague and as the ultimate professional. Its the end of Michaels career in Formula One so in that sense, it is the end of an era. When you look at his record, thats going to be difficult to beat."

"Michael has been the author of a unique chapter in the history of Formula 1 and of Ferrari in particular. It has yet to reach its conclusion and what he has achieved extends over and above the results obtained. He is an exceptional man and will become a legend as a driver."

"I don’t think anyone can take Michael’s place. Michael is Michael and he always will be. To the sport he’s a legend, like other legends, like other great champions – Prost, Senna – you know, he’s in the same league and there’s no way you can replace someone. [...] For sure Michael is the one that everyone is looking up to in Germany and that won’t change for quite a long time. I think the records he has set are quite unique, so even though at the moment he gets a lot of shit, he probably knows what he’s doing. I think if you look at his face, he seems relaxed, so he knows what’s going on and I think that’s also a quality a champion has to have."

"Im looking forward to F1 without Michael and hoping that we will see some real competition again between drivers within teams as well as drivers against each other in other teams."