The end of an era

SAO PAULO, Brazil – Fernando Alonso became a Formula One champion again on a day when Michael Schumacher retired to end one of the great careers in sports.

Alonso won his second straight title with a runner-up finish to Felipe Massa at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday.

He entered the race needing to finish eighth or better for the crown.

Last year, the 25-year-old Spaniard became F1’s youngest champion by finishing third.

Schumacher, a seven-time Formula One champ, needed to win his farewell race to keep alive his remote chance of another title. But the German punctured a tire less than 10 laps into the race, dropped out of contention early and finished fourth.

“Today my racing career comes to an end,” he said. “Obviously, it is a special moment for me, and I am proud to have lived my career with some fantastic people, namely everyone who is part of the Ferrari family.”

He retires after 16 years in Formula One with most of the driver records, including 91 victories and 68 pole positions.

The 37-year-old driver, racing in his 250th Grand Prix, had a final word for his legions of fans.

“They give me a lot of support, and so I can give them the performance, especially when moments when it was difficult,” he said. “Over these long years it was immensely important and for me I can only give a very big thank you to all those fans.”

Massa, Schumacher’s Ferrari teammate, won from the pole before an adoring home crowd at Interlagos.

Schumacher’s trouble made things easier for Alonso, who started in fourth place but moved up to second halfway through the 71-lap race.

Schumacher jumped from 10th to seventh on the first lap, but a flat left-rear tire entering the ninth lap shattered his chances.

He had just passed sixth-placed Giancarlo Fisichella on the outside of the first turn when the tire blew, forcing him to slowly return to the pits.

He changed tires and returned to the track in 18th place, more than a minute behind Massa and out of the running barely 15 minutes into the race.

Schumacher caught Fisichella on the 63rd lap and had a chance to move to fifth. This time, Fisichella went off the track and Schumacher went past, pursuing Raikkonen with six laps left.

At the start of the 69th, Schumacher moved on the inside and passed Raikkonen for fourth, with wheels almost touching around the first turn.

Raikkonen will replace Schumacher at Ferrari next year, starting with the 2007 opener at the Australian Grand Prix on March 18.