Ferrari President Leaves Driving Choice to Schumacher

World Champion Michael Schumacher has an open invitation to drive for Ferrari for as long as he wishes to, the company's president Luca di Montezemolo said.

Schumacher, now in his eighth year with the Italian team, has a contract with Ferrari until the end of 2004. However, Schumacher himself was quoted as saying earlier this season that he will decide whether to continue racing next year - or even beyond his contract expiration date - later this year.

"Schumacher will decide," di Montezemolo told La Repubblica. "If he wants to stay, his place is reserved for him. We are very happy about our race and test drivers."

Di Montezemolo said the team's ultimate goal is to maintain stability, adding: "even though we are working on the development of the F2003 - a car with a huge potential for improvement - we are basically finished on other priorities, so that we can already start thinking about our contracts, to give the team serenity. Stability is needed, which doesn't mean immobility."

Di Montezemolo further told the newspaper he was content with the way the season has begun for Ferrari. He said: "Four pole positions out of five races, four fastest laps, two victories -

which could have been more if it wasn't for some unusual circumstances and some errors, both from the team and Schumacher. It doesn't look like a bad start to me. Especially considering that Michelin and our competitors, except for BMW Williams, have greatly improved."

He also criticised some of the new rules, in particularly the parc ferme rule which stipulates the cars must be left under scrutineering between qualifying and the race, and cannot be worked on or refuelled.

"Formula One is an extreme sport, so I don't like the fact that the Championship might be won by the one who always comes second. But I can accept that," the Ferrari president said. "What I don't like at all is the parc ferme rule, with the restriction to work on the cars after qualifying. Just as it was completely wrong to race in the wet without the right tyres."