Highlights

Schumacher shrugs off Brawn speculation

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-08-04 16:36

BUDAPEST, Aug 3 - Ferrari's Michael Schumacher refused to be drawn into a new round of speculation concerning his team's technical director Ross Brawn on Thursday.

Britain's Autosport magazine, quoting unnamed sources, reported earlier that Brawn was '100 percent certain' to take a sabbatical next year.

The Briton has worked for the Italian team for the last 10 years and has overseen all of Schumacher's seven titles, including his first two with Benetton.

His departure, and Schumacher's possible retirement, would break up the Ferrari 'dream team" that dominated the first half of the decade.

Ferrari dismissed the story as speculation and paddock whispers were already putting a twist on it at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with suggestions that it might have originated from rivals seeking to destabilise the team at a key point in the championship.

Schumacher doubted that: "I don't see what could be destabilising about that situation," he told reporters. "We all know rumours, we all live with them, we all handle them.

"It is absolutely not important where and what is the story," he added.

"The point is that in Monza we all will be much more clever and we all will know exactly what is going on so there is no point in speculating."

Ferrari have said that they will reveal their 2007 driver line-up at their home Italian Grand Prix in September, ending months of conjecture about whether 37-year-old Schumacher will retire or continue.

Team boss Jean Todt said last weekend that an announcement about his own future, and that of other key employees such as Brawn, would have to wait until after the end of the season.

Schumacher's manager Willi Weber said last weekend that he had told the driver to walk away from the sport if he wins a record eighth championship.

However Schumacher said that was only one man's opinion.

"It's fair that he has this opinion, and that's why we are so good together over many, many years," he said. "We talk together, we think about things and we discuss certain things through.

"But in the end of the day each one has to make a decision for himself.

"We will discuss when the moment comes what is the right decision for whatever is the situation, so there is nothing new. That is simply his opinion."