Ferrari say no pressure on Rossi

The Italian rider has been testing for Ferrari recently and has been linked with a possible full-time race drive with the team in 2007, especially if Michael Schumacher decides to retire when his contract expires.

But Todt has said that it will be only down to Rossi to decide whether he wants to move to four wheels.

"He will be the one deciding whether he wants to try to or not, and we won't put pressure on him," Todt told reporters at the team's winter retreat in the Dolomites.

"His future in F1 is only down to him and his abilities, that is whether he'll be able to be up to it or not."

Todt, whose team will lose main sponsor Vodafone after this year, also denied that a new sponsor could have a say in Ferrari's decision to sign Rossi.

"Absolutely not," he said. "No sponsor in Ferrari has ever been tied to a single person. The deals are made with Ferrari, and Ferrari then decide, in complete autonomy, who drives the car. It's always been like that."