Grapevine: I Never Dreamed of Riches, Says Schumacher

Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher says he never dreamed of making so much money from motor racing and would have been quite happy had he remained a mechanic.

The Ferrari driver also said that he was not all that interested in Formula One as a youth.

"With my first paycheck, long before Formula One, I made 2,000 marks ($940) a month," he told the mass-circulation Bild newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.

"I was very proud, that was a lot of money for me.

"I never thought then that I would ever make any money at all for driving," said the Ferrari driver who worked as a garage mechanic in his youth.

"Had it all not worked out I would be an auto mechanic -- and most certainly happy at it."

Bild estimated Schumacher's wage for the Formula One season at 110 million marks ($51 million).

This was made up of 75 million marks ($35 million) from Ferrari, 20 million marks ($9 million) for sponsorship and 15 million marks ($7 million) from his own collection of merchandising deals.

The 32 year-old said he was currently at the peak of his abilities, but he still hoped to get faster this season.

"I don't think I can pull anything more out of myself, but that doesn't mean we can't go any faster. You can always improve your car."

Schumacher also said he was tired of people asking him why he had not yet extended his contract with Ferrari, which ends in 2002: "I don't want to hear this anymore. I drive for Ferrari, I love Ferrari. There's no reason to rush," he said.