October 4: Michael Schumacher, F1′s winningest driver, retired on this date in 2012

Last year's announcement by Michael Schumacher that he will retire from Formula 1 came at the right moment. While his last stint with the Mercedes team was a disappointment at best — scoring only one podium finish in three years of racing — Schumacher's seven F1 titles and 91 races won between 1991 and 2006 ranks among the greatest careers by any race driver.

In his glory years, Schumacher practiced a ruthless competitiveness that pushed the boundaries even by the wild standards of F1 racing; crashing on purpose, blocking and many other tricks that drew him a sizable crowd of detractors. But Schumacher had the raw driving talent to always make him a threat, especially when the track grew wet. Here's a clip from Schumacher at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix, a circuit he came to master as few have.