Grapevine: Schumacher Looks Forward to Winter Holiday

World Champion Michael Schumacher is preparing for his winter hibernation after beginning a long holiday from his Ferrari team that will see him stay on the sidelines until the start of January.

Schumacher, who secured his record-breaking sixth World Championship in the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this month, has been allowed to take a rest with his wife Corinna and family after an exhausting season.

"Corinna and my two children currently represent my present life and apart from a few appointments which are already in the diary I am looking forward to a holiday until January," he said.

"Over the past few years I have realised how important it is for me to have a break from Formula One and to prepare again for another tough season with my batteries fully charged and a new motivation.

"The best thing is to really want to drive a car otherwise the season just becomes long and stressful. But this requires a lot of energy and in fact it is just like refuelling for the winter."

Schumacher, who let off steam in a controversial riotous post-race party at Suzuka, remains determined not to think about his achievements having overtaken Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio to top the list of all-time champions this year.

He said the Suzuka race, which was little more than one week ago, seems "a long way away" but admitted: "When I am at home relaxing, naturally my thoughts return to that day. Even so, everyday life soon returns.

"In general, I take very little interest in the past and much more in the future. Nevertheless, I cannot deny that what happened in Japan was something fantastic."