Don’t believe a word of it. There’s no greater expert at turning the psychological screw on an opponent than the seven-time champion.

The Ferrari driver is bound to give a very special performance in his final race, so don’t rule him out just yet, says Keith Collantine.

Fernando Alonso has one hand on his second consecutive F1 championship trophy. He won yesterday’s Japanese Grand Prix while Schumacher’s Ferrari smouldered by the edge of the circuit, its driver long gone.

In a dramatic twist rich in irony, Schumacher’s penultimate Grand Prix ended when his engine failed on lap 37. Schumacher has benefited from exemplary, above-average reliability through most of his time at Ferrari.

The seven-time champion can now only take the title with him into retirement if he wins the final race with Alonso failing to score.

After the race he was keen to play down his chances of being champion this year: “The drivers' title for me is finished,” he said.

“We were first but lost the engine. That's Formula One. I'm not very disappointed.”

If you think it seems odd that a man who seems almost addicted to winning would say, “I’m not disappointed” after losing a race, you’re right.

But Schumacher knows the only way he can be champion now is to use mind games on Alonso, to make him crack. By making it seem easy for Alonso to win the championship in Brazil in two weeks’ time he increases expectation on the Spaniard.

Asked about the title-deciding race in Brazil Schumacher said: "I don't want to think of a race I must win with the other not finishing. I don't like that."

It’s exactly the same subtle mental warfare that he turned on Damon Hill to win his first championship in 1994. With the championship going down to the wire, Schumacher told the press Hill wouldn’t even be in the running if his team mate, Ayrton Senna, hadn’t died earlier that year.

It may be a long shot, but it’s not impossible. Only four weeks ago he won the Italian Grand Prix with Alonso failing to score – exactly the result he needs in Brazil.

If he pulls it off it would be up there with the greatest sporting comebacks: Like Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League triumph from a 3-0 disadvantage, Nick Faldo’s defeat of Greg Norman in the 1996 Augusta Masters, and Ian Botham’s 149-run innings against Australia in 1981.

What better way could there be for Schumacher the controversial genius to finish his amazing career?

Racing Round-up

Formula One, Japan

Alonso won with team mate Giancarlo Fisichella third, putting Renault nine points ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was second.

A1 Grand Prix, Czech Republic

Malaysia’s Alex Yoong won both the races but Germany’s Niko Hulkenberg turned heads in the second with a stirring drive from sixteenth to third. Germany lead the championship battle from Mexico and Malaysia.

Robbie Kerr of Team Great Britain took sixth in the feature race to put the team join fourth in the championship.

Bathurst 1000, Australia

Bathurst is usually the highlight of the Austrian motor racing calendar, but the death of nine-time winner Peter Brock meant it would be a sober affair this year. But the event was further marred by tragedy when racer Mark Porter was killed following a collision.

Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup gave Ford their first win at the historic Mount Panorama circuit since 1998.

World Touring Cars, Spain

An incredible nine drivers are in the hunt for the championship after yesterday’s two races in Valencia. Augusto Farfus leads the title hunt by one point from Briton Andy Priaulx and his team mate Jorg Muller.

Also in contention for the World Touring Car title are Gabriele Tarquini, Ricard Rydell, Dirk Muller, James Thompson, Yorg Muller and Peter Terting.

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Read last week's Trackside - Can A1 be number one?