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Schumi to continue F1 reign even without Ferrari
Madonna Di Campiglio, Jan 16: Michael Schumacher is determined to continue his dominance of Formula One racing.
Madonna Di Campiglio, Jan 16: Michael Schumacher is determined to continue his dominance of Formula One racing.
World champion Michael Schumacher says he is ready to continue in Formula One beyond the end of his current Ferrari contract in 2006. But the record six-times world champion said the time to quit would come if his team mate, currently Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, was quicker than him.
"I have never excluded continuing after 2006," Schumacher told a news conference at the team's winter retreat in the Dolomites. "When we extended the contract to 2006, the president (Ferrari's Luca di Montezemolo) told me: 'Stay as long as you like, as long as you are motivated and quick'.
"There is no reason to close doors for the future. If I feel then as I do now then it is an open future," added the 35-year-old German.
"There is no lack of motivation. I still enjoy it, we have a great team morale, great atmosphere within the team. We had a tough end to the year and it showed to all of us what is needed to finally succeed and actually I think that helped a lot with the motivation of the whole team.
"For me it is easy -- I love what I am doing, I love the sport, love preparing for races. For me there is no question about not being motivated and it is important that everyone around has the same motivation and from what I have seen over the winter I am not concerned at all," he said.
Bureau Report
World champion Michael Schumacher says he is ready to continue in Formula One beyond the end of his current Ferrari contract in 2006. But the record six-times world champion said the time to quit would come if his team mate, currently Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, was quicker than him.
"I have never excluded continuing after 2006," Schumacher told a news conference at the team's winter retreat in the Dolomites. "When we extended the contract to 2006, the president (Ferrari's Luca di Montezemolo) told me: 'Stay as long as you like, as long as you are motivated and quick'.
"There is no reason to close doors for the future. If I feel then as I do now then it is an open future," added the 35-year-old German.
"There is no lack of motivation. I still enjoy it, we have a great team morale, great atmosphere within the team. We had a tough end to the year and it showed to all of us what is needed to finally succeed and actually I think that helped a lot with the motivation of the whole team.
"For me it is easy -- I love what I am doing, I love the sport, love preparing for races. For me there is no question about not being motivated and it is important that everyone around has the same motivation and from what I have seen over the winter I am not concerned at all," he said.
Bureau Report