Schumacher to decide future by September

The world champion's current contract with Ferrari runs until the end of next season, and there has been continue speculation about whether Schumacher will retire at that point. Speculation over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend linked Williams ace Juan Pablo Montoya with a move to the team as Schumacher's replacement for the 2005 season.

Speaking about when Schumacher would make a decision about his future Weber told Reuters: "Maybe it will be by Monza or maybe later. But not much later. If he continues after 2004 it will be with Ferrari, that's for sure."

Weber insisted that Schumacher would stay in F1 for the remainder of his Ferrari contract. "He's under contract for next year, so nothing happens," he said. "We are talking about after 2004.

"I think the team will also want to know what the situation is. I believe he will say this year whether he continues driving or not. We haven't spoken about the situation because we are working for the races and the championship and there has not been a lot of time to speak about it."