Ferrari to name '07 team by September
Ferrari to name '07 team by September
Schumacher said last week that he might not decide until the end of the season whether he wanted to retire or carry on racing.

London: Ferrari hope to announce their 2007 lineup at their home Italian Grand Prix in September, says team boss Jean Todt.

"We need to...secure that Ferrari is in a strong situation for the present and for the future," he said after Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.

"That's what we will do and together with Michael (Schumacher), when Michael feels comfortable with the announcement, we should announce something around Monza," added the Frenchman.

Seven-times champion Schumacher said last week that he might not decide until the end of the season whether he wanted to retire or carry on racing.

Ferrari said they were happy to wait for the 37-year-old's decision.

The German has won two of the six races so far this season and was second on Sunday to Renault's Fernando Alonso, the 24-year-old who dethroned him last year.

"It's a bit tiring to always have speculation and we know that once we will announce the drives, we start on other speculation," said Todt.

"When we give an answer to those new speculations, we will no doubt have some other ones. So in a way, to concentrate on speculation at the moment on drivers is quite good because we don't get on to other matters. "Michael said, 'If I want, I can'," he added about Schumacher's declaration.

"We have a good harmony in the team. Everybody knows that Michael is spoiled here, which he deserves. He's like a spoiled kid in the team, together with Felipe (Massa). So I want Michael to be happy, I want Felipe to be happy."

Brazilian Massa, managed by Todt's son Nicolas, has a one-year contract as a Ferrari race driver. Ferrari have been linked strongly to McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, either as a partner to Schumacher or as a replacement for the most successful driver the sport has seen.

McLaren have been largely off the pace so far this year and team boss Ron Dennis hinted that the Finn had made his decision when he said at the weekend that the Mercedes-powered team would finalise their 2007 lineup in the next few weeks.

Asked how that would affect Ferrari, Todt deflected the question: "Maybe (Renault team boss) Flavio (Briatore) will be happy," he said. "I don't know. I read that Flavio has meetings with the drivers."

Renault's Fernando Alonso has already signed for McLaren and there are some who believe Renault could make a pitch for Raikkonen, if they have not already.

What's your reaction?

Comments

https://popochek.com/assets/images/user-avatar-s.jpg

0 comment

Write the first comment for this!