Grapevine: Toyota Trying to Lure Schumacher

According to reports in the German Bild magazine, the new Toyota Formula One team are trying to lure world champion Michael Schumacher from Ferrari.

Toyota, the world's third bigger car manufacturer, will make their official Formula One debut in the 2002 season, after spending almost a year testing their recently unveiled car with Finn Mika Salo and Scot Allan McNish.

The Japanese giant is aiming very high in Formula One, and they are rumoured to be interested in hiring Schumacher when his contract with Ferrari expires at the end of 2002.

"Nothing is impossible," said Schumacher's manager Willy Weber about the possibility of the German driving for Toyota. "As a general rule we must take everything into consideration."

However, Weber also made it clear than Schumacher's first priority is Ferrari, where he repeatedly stated he wants to start an era of domination after winning the 2000 title.

"Ferrari has top priority however because Michael feels good at Maranello and his dream of a Ferrari era appears about to be realised."