As investments go, whoever put up the couple of million dollars necessary to fund Michael Schumacher's career in karts, Formula 3 and sports cars is presumably pretty happy with the return on investment. Assuming that Michael's career earnings fall somewhere around $400 Million, an ROI of two hundred times initial outlay is pretty good. I assume Willi Weber smiles a lot when he wakes up each morning.

That's about as far as I plan to go in terms of evaluating the investment that represented Michael Schumacher's career. My column is supposed to be about the commercial side of Formula One but, tempting though it is to write volumes on the vital sponsorship coups delivered by Renault, McLaren and Williams in recent weeks, I am going to park that topic for the moment. Mainly because I am a bit irritated.

It's all got to do with this 'flawed genius' moniker that some media, notably in the UK, have developed in order to summarise Michael Schumacher's career. I noted that in newspapers such as The Observer and The Independent, and on BBC news, this theme was developed even to the extent that none other than David Coulthard was reported on ITV-F1.com as saying, in an F1 Racing magazine interview, that Schumacher should apologise to the public for some of the things he's done. Apologise. At the end of the most successful ever F1 career.

With all due respect to DC, what total and utter nonsense. I know he's also said Schumi is perhaps the most complete driver ever. So why not leave it at that?

Even Motor Sport magazine quietly stuck the boot in by carefully describing Michael as being 'statistically' the best driver in Formula One history. As though all Michael Schumacher had achieved was to notch up a few mathematical figures whilst driving a car round in circles every other Sunday.

It's as though close observers of the sport in the UK, lulled into a stupor by Michael's domination of Formula One, have chosen to concentrate on those few occasions on which he has been a Very Naughty Man. Or should that be very Naughty Ger-Man…? Surely not… It makes for interesting copy and enables everyone to take a few pot shots at the Very Naughty Man while he is busy making every other driver in F1 look like he'd have trouble driving a golf buggy.

It's also a useful device for protecting other driver's reputations, the suggestion being that they've been losing during their careers only because they wouldn't stoop so low as to do the things that Michael has done. God forbid that some journeyman might have a fellow competitor off the track, make his team mate look stupid, have the team orders in his favour, block a track during qualifying or go out and win 91 Grands Prix.

Watching the Monte Carlo incident live on TV, it was rather amusing to hear about various former World Champions and members of the media frothing at the mouth at the temerity of Michael to become a very, very Naughty Boy. However, odd as it may seem, I don't suppose Michael Schumacher ever went racing in order to keep Keke Rosberg happy, put a smile on Jackie Stewart's face or having anyone compliment him on being a very, very nice man.

The 'not back in my day' brigade of F1 observer, and my word there are a lot of duffers about who only get truly excited when they visit Goodwood, seem to forget that these days Formula One teams require budgets of 18 Billion. And that's just for testing. Or to build a motorhome. Or that they employ 43,000 staff. Or whatever. And that this very, very great deal of money does not grow on trees but is in fact paid for by assorted car manufacturers, fuel companies and sponsors, all of which are answerable to their shareholders, who actually want their driver to win. At any cost. Because Formula One does cost an awful lot indeed.

I'm not sure if Michael Schumacher was ever given a Job Description by Jean Todt on his first day of work at Ferrari. But I suspect it consisted of two words. One would be 'win' and the other 'to'. And if Michael had said 'but what if…' I suspect Jean would have interrupted and said 'don't worry about anything, just…win'.

Michael Schumacher was not only a supremely talented driver, he was a leader of men, a motivator, a communicator, a strategist and the fittest driver around. He didn't sweat. If he brings out 'Michael Schumacher Deodorant - for the man who never wants to sweat at all, ever' I'm having some. Because I'm worth it. Anyone who can drive for two hours, win the race, make everyone look silly, slip off his helmet and look like he's just got ready for a Friday night out on the pull, is unique. He may not actually be human.

Yes, he did things that were very naughty. So did Ayrton Senna. And Alain Prost. And any young kart racer worth his salt at any kart race in any country a week ago last Sunday. The duffers will say 'but never as bad as Michael' but surely, when you are operating at the edge of the performance envelope in the way Michael was, isn't it conceivable - and perhaps forgivable - that he's going to stray into territory unacceptable to others? Whether it's a conscious decision or not?

Frankly, if career apologies are owed from drivers, it is from those who have never lived up to their billing, never won a World Championship when they had a quick car, who allowed themselves to be out-psyched, out-raced and out-witted by Michael at pretty well every turn, and whose salaries are paid in spite of, not because of, their achievements. Michael Schumacher flawed? In their dreams.