Schuey's joy over Rubens

Speaking at Ferrari's traditional skiing break at Madonna di Campiglio, Schumacher said of the decision to retain Barrichello for a further two years: "Honestly, there is no better choice than Rubens to be with us."

On the subject of extending his own deal with the Scuderia, the 35-year-old German said that although his current deal runs for another three seasons, he has not ruled out carrying on with Ferrari in F1 as long as he feels he is quick enough against his own team-mate.

"I have never excluded continuing after 2006," said Schumacher, who has always been tetchy on the subject of his retirement from the sport. "When we extended the contract to 2006, the president [Luca di Montezemolo] told me, 'Stay as long as you like, as long as you are motivated and quick.' There is no reason to close doors for the future. If I feel then as I do now then it is an open future.

"Should there be the day when I am doing my best and my best is not good enough, quick enough, against my team mate - and I'm talking about being really too slow - then that is the day to stop, honestly, because then it becomes maybe dangerous."