Schumacher says future is wide open

Schumacher is attending his first Grand Prix since he quit Formula One at the end of last year in an advisory capacity for Ferrari, but has made it clear that he is still completely undecided about his future plans.

This comes despite former rival Mika Hakkinen saying recently that he expected Schumacher to make an eventual return to racing in the next few years.

When asked whether he expected to make such a move, Schumacher said: "No. I am only so many months out of this business. And I am quite happy with that. What could be in the future, who knows? If I knew that, I would be doing it."

Schumacher did, however, completely dismiss any suggestion of moving into a senior team management role - either with his own outfit or at Ferrari.

"Absolutely not," he said. "I just don't want to. I have other ambitions in life other than that one."

Schumacher retains close links with Ferrari and has been acting in an advisory role whenever he has been asked for input.

But he said that the restructuring of staff that had taken place over the winter following technical director Ross Brawn's decision to have a sabbatical had been such a success that it left him little opportunity to contribute.

When asked by autosport.com to define the role he has had with Ferrari, Schumacher said: "I don't think there is a point to go through my agenda here and now, to get into the details.

"I like to keep that the way I mentioned it, because there is no such guideline that has to be followed for what I have to do.

"Ferrari are doing incredibly well. They have restructured the company in a very good way, so obviously there is much less possibility to be of support. I am happy to see the way things are going.

"It is the same for Ross and myself. When you have been such a long time in a team like this and make so many friends, and you leave that part of work, then you feel very happy to see the success continuing and that they can still do the job they do."

Schumacher says he is enjoying his retirement, and told reporters that he still had no desire to get back in an F1 car for a test.

"Well, it is certainly very obvious that there is a life after Formula One. After being 16 years here, it has been an interesting experience not to wake up every morning and think about it - (instead) just thinking about other things like the family and so on. It has been very exciting."