Grapevine: Schumacher Dismisses Early Retirement Talk

Reigning champion Michael Schumacher has denied he plans to take an early retirement if he wins a fifth world crown this season with Ferrari.

Schumacher is bidding to equal Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five world titles this year and it was suggested by the German press that he would retire at the end of the season if he achieved the feat.

But the German denied the rumours and insisted that he plans to see out the end of his current contract with Ferrari, which expires in 2004.

"First of all I don't intend to retire," Schumacher said today at Imola. "I have made this comment very often. But your problem is if one newspaper as a joke writes it everybody is following that story and has to write about it because it seems to be the most interesting story.

"I am not intending to retire so there is no point in looking any further."

Schumacher also refused to be drawn on talk that controversial Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya is being lined up as his long-term replacement at Ferrari.

"He is obviously very fast but there are 22 other Formula One drivers who are also fast," he said. "Sure there is one better than the others and that one is doing a very good job."