Brawn: Schu can win 10 titles
Ferrari's technical director Ross Brawn has told seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher to target a sensational 10 world championships
Schumacher's contract with the team is set to expire at the end of 2006, and should the German win all the championships until then, he would still be one short. But Brawn believes his charge is more than capable of being successful beyond that point.
"Michael is an amazing person and driver," Brawn told the Sunday People. "What he has done will never be bettered, but if he did wrap up the next two world titles then to go on for a perfect 10 would just be the icing on the cake.
"With any other driver you would say it was impossible - but with Michael you can't say that because he is just incredible.
"He is also still so motivated for a driver that has done everything he has and won so many championships.
"It's amazing because if I phone him up and say we want to do some extra testing that was not planned, he won't even question the decision but just ask where and when."
Brawn refuses to question Schumacher's motivation, but admits the day will come when the german will know it's time to call it a day.
"Every year people are saying how he can't carry on much longer because he won't have the motivation but, it is winning that drives him and every race is a challenge to him.
"He will wake up one day and know that he has had enough and that he doesn't want to race any more.
"But until then, he'll go out at every test session and every race having to win and beat himself because he is such a competitive person. He may go on and try to win 10 world drivers' championships and he is capable of doing so. But when he feels he has had enough, then we'll accept that as a team.
"Michael might have a contract with Ferrari until 2006, but that is only a piece of paper because we wouldn't get in his way if he had had enough."
The team admits it has to look to the future and the post-Schumacher age and Brawn admits that McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen and Renault's Fernando Alonso would be worthy considerations to replace the German.
"As for who would replace him, I don't know because it changes all the time," Brawn said. "But the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso would be the drivers we'd look at when we need to.
"When Michael does retire, I don't think that it would be too hard to fill his place because it would be quite a desirable race seat and we'd be able to choose.
"I can't fear the phone call from Michael telling me he was going to quit because of what he has done for Ferrari, but it would be a shame for him not to be in F1 any more."
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