Ferrari chief considered taking 'sabbatical'

Speaking to British newspaper The Financial Times, the 53-year-old admitted:

"I really would like to take a year's sabbatical. However I'm resigned to the fact that I will not be allowed to do so."

Giovanni Agnelli, head of Ferrari's parent group Fiat, has already asked di Montezemolo to stay on as chairman of the company.

"It's been an extraordinary year," di Montezemolo continued. "I got married. Ferrari won the Formula One championship after 21 years. Our sales of Ferrari sports cars will hit 4000 for the first time this year."

An extra motivation for di Montezemolo's desire for a break is the fact that his wife Ludovica is expecting a baby in May.

Di Montezemolo returned to Ferrari at Agnelli's behest in the early 1990's, charged with reviving the team's flagging fortunes. After several near-misses in the previous seasons, Schumacher finally delivered the drivers' crown for the team this season, while Ferrari has now won the constructors' title for two years in a row.