Schumacher discussing future Ferrari role
Discussions with Michael Schumacher will take place during 2009 to decide if his contract with Ferrari is to be renewed, team boss Stefano Domenicali has revealed.
Schumacher, who stepped down from his race role with the Italian team as a seven time world champion in 2006, has subsequently served as an occasional test driver, ambassador and advisor.
But whether he will continue his roles beyond next year is to be the subject of discussions, Domenicali told the Italian magazine Autosprint.
He said Schumacher will remain involved with the F1 team and Ferrari’s road car department in 2009.
“However, and I’m just saying this from a personal point of view, it’s clear that everything must be assessed for what it can bring.
“So, during the season we’ll have discussions to understand whether this collaboration will keep on going,” said Domenicali.
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Read more: Will any of today’s Formula 1 drivers ever beat Michael Schumacher’s records?
at last!!!!!!!!!!! the final stumbling block to the Alonso-Ferrari union is finally being removed!!! Schumacher has done his best to keep Fernando out of a Ferrari cockpit for the last 2 years!!! Now Luca is beginning to see the enemy within! If you have a reputation to preserve, then you are not going to help anybody to surpass you, but you can make hollow comments like…”Hamilton can smash my records”………Schumacher is not praising Hamilton with comments like these, he is only having a sly dig at Fernando Alonso!!!!
Wow! Should we understand this to mean that Michael’s value to the team has reduced? Sounds a little like a threat from Stefano. Are they unhappy with Michael’s gallivanting.
Ok… I got an idea. Michael should offer to manage the “old” Honda team with Ross, and a buyer most likely Arab will step up immediately, that is if Honda don’t change their minds and stay in. Ok, I know, pie in the sky…
I think it is unnecessary to have Michael in the team anymore.
After two years, all should have learnt the lesson, and the teacher can retire.
Tequilla Slammer - LDM knew the enemy within when MS-Todt-Brawn trio was taking control of Ferrari. Schumi retiring, Todt sidelined, Brawn sent for gardening, Stephney implicated in white-powder and later spygate were all systematic efforts by LDM to remove the influential outsiders and he has been systematically getting Italian Blood back in Ferrari’s F1 operations. Removing Schummi totally has become contentious issue, since Schummi whose joining Ferrari took it back to its winning ways is loved character with Tifos, and all the Ferrari Fans. How they will stomach dumping Schumi is LDMs headache.
If LDM knew how to handle that situation, Schumi would have been jettisoned at Monza on 10th sept 2006
Too Good, couldn’t agree more.
There is much more to the whole Stepney issue than meets the eye.
Ferrari’s pride must have been hurt by the fact that the recent success is almost wholely without Italians, and there has been a whole scale restructuring within the team as a result of that.
Scumacher is the last logical link to the past, but if they go from mistake to mistake, the tifosi will let them (the management) know of their displeasure.
Isn’t this more like Domenicali is answering a simple question about Schumacher’s contract? Schumacher’s contract is running out at the end of 2009 and the teams need to cut down costs. Makes sense that a journalist is asking about the status. Domenicali then gives a pretty generic answer like “yeah we will review his contract of course”. The headlines then almost give the idea that they are about to fire Schumacher.
I think it’s more sensationalism than that it actually means something.
Hmm. Here is a question- Have you all forgotten what Michael has done for Ferrari? They (Ferrari) would be foolish to let him get away. His name is what help make Ferrari keep the top spot in Racing and street cars. Having him interact with customers and test drive and offer team support is a perfect position for him to be in. After all they paid him enough in the past haven’t they? How much money is too much? Of course they will renew his contract! I would say there is a 100,000,000% chance he will stay right were he is. When he stops saying “WE” then you should worry.
great idea chaz…….. that would certainly spice up F1, maybe in a few years MS will do that but his Ferrari ties are gonna be so hard to let go off
Nothing to do with Ferrari looking to save costs?
cant see Schumachers final departure making any difference to the 2009/10 season results.
technical abilities apart, the Tifosi will remember him fondly for his Ferrari times no matter what he does or who with, The whole changing scene of 2009 financially will be an ideal time for the Italians to get home grown blood back into the fold, assuming the talent is there and with the background of financial cuts and trimmimg it will all seem comonsense to the most ardent fan, Schumi will still be Schumi to us all.
Alex, I agree, its cost cutting time at Ferrari: Test Driver, Ambassador, Adviser - what exactly did Old Schuey contribute to Ferrari’s racing last year? If Luca has done his calculations and found a major drain on resources, then he’s not doing any more than Mr Williams or Big Ron would do in similar circumstances.
And I can recall Old Schuey himself pondering his role at the beginning of last season, as he was getting further away from the actual racing.
I would like to see him managing a junior team, or even a GP2 team, or teaching his skills to up and coming Italians or Germans, but it would require finance and support from Ferrari or the Todts to do it (but now he could work with Ross Brawn again!)