Full Throttle

Has Formula One suffered it’s final indignity?

After Schumi retired some opined that F1 had lost more than a seven-time champ, that it had started down a road to oblivion. That idea lost some steam with the emergence of Fernando Alonzo as he ruled supreme for two seasons.

His leading light dimmed to a flicker as he and McLaren were embroiled in the spying scandal (no need to recall the FIA’s and the WMSC duplicity, it’s well known). As the season progressed Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton hit the replay button and recalled the days of the Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost frosty partnership.

As friends and foes of NASCAR know their favorite drivers race around in Taxi Cabs. Whether it be a term of endearment or derision, it does hold a bit of truth. NASCAR race cars just provide more advertising space than your typical NYC cab and lack the lighted vacancy sign on the roof. And lets be honest, the Jeffy detractors would more than likely call Gordon a Hack just as they would a New York cabbie.

So the question remains, has F1 suffered it’s final indignity with Michael Schumacher casting off his bazillion dollar retirement watch and become a Taxi Driver?

Well not really, the headline is just a tease, Schumi became a REAL Taxi driver.

According to the Muenchner Abendzeitung newspaper (via Autosport) the former champ was on holiday in southern Germany and ran a bit short of time and was in jeopardy of missing his flight back home.

Schumi can now add the “unofficial title of Germany’s fastest taxi driver” to his prodigious list of accomplishments as he commandeered a cab and drove himself and family to the airport.

“It was crazy having Schumi driving, with me in the passenger seat,” the taxi driver was quoted as saying.

(That’s it! I’d a been screaming “Holy frickin’ bajesus, are you kiddin’ me! Where’s my camera phone? Where’s my video camera? What’s the Email addresses of every tabloid in the EU? BOY have I got a story to SELL,” but that’s just me - ed)

The cabbie not only had a ride of a lifetime but made out monetarily as well, Schumi gave the driver a 100 euro ($146.6) tip on top of the 60 euro fare. You can’t beat that with a stick! (unless you have a video camera)