Todt: no pressure on Schumacher

Schumacher, 37, said this week he intended to make a decision over whether to retire or not midway through the forthcoming season after managing only one win last year.

"He has no pressure, no pressure from the team," Todt told reporters at the team's winter retreat in the Dolomites.

"I will let you (the media) give him pressure but he has no pressure from the team. Whenever Michael feels happy to decide which direction he wants to take in his career will be convenient for us.

"It is up to us to organise ourselves in order to respond to the situation and to make sure that Ferrari is not penalised and can have all the elements in hand to be a winning team."

Todt said that he was convinced Schumacher was motivated and focused for the coming season after the disappointments of 2005 but gave no clues as to the German's likely decision.

"Michael is motivated, he wanted to try the car before Christmas because, just like all of us, he was very displeased about the 2005 season and really he wants to do something in 2006. Then during the year he's going to decide whether he's going to continue or not.

"He does not know, so if he doesn't know, I know even less about what he is going to do in the future," he said.

The Frenchman, who has been at the helm throughout Schumacher's five year spell of domination in Formula One, said he was confident Ferrari would find the right replacement for the German when he decided to leave.

"Ferrari is the firm that has the best sporting history in its field and Ferrari has won many championships, many titles with major drivers who have left a major trace in the history of car racing. Michael is among these drivers.

"He came after many other famous drivers and I'm trusting that the day Michael decides he's going to change his future we are going to have other great drivers who are going to write the history of Ferrari.

"We are going to announce it when we consider it suitable to announce it. Now we are focusing on 2006," Todt said.

Ferrari will unveil their new car for 2006 at their Mugello test track on January 24.

The full speech by Jean Todt to the media

Provided by the Ferrari press office

"We started the car today for the first time and at the beginning of next week we are going to start private testing at Fiorano - not with a black car but with a red car with no writing on it, so something different in comparison to what we have done in the past. There is a possibility that we will run this Monday and then we will do some tests for a few days with Michael in Fiorano.

"After that, we are going to do some tests in our workshops and then on Tuesday the 24th, we are going to present the car in Mugello during some testing and we are going to present it with our partners and the press."

Todt went on to explain that the team is not financially challenged as some members of the press believe. "I do realise that many of you may not have noticed that as of 2006, thanks to the agreements that we have signed, we are going to have some greater revenues as against what we've had in the past.

"Unfortunately, we had to accept the departure of Vodafone, because Vodafone wanted to stay with Ferrari but we could not keep Vodafone with Ferrari and we're going to announce, in the next few days, some further agreements that have been reached. But I insist that I've read on many many occasions that Ferrari was financially in dire straits and we might not be able to support our programmes in the future. Well, all this is false and does not correspond to reality, to the truth.

"Some of our competitors may like to insist on these problems, but unfortunately for them it's not going to be so, and so we are going to have the means necessary to tackle future championships and of course this also means that we cannot use this as an excuse for lack of resources because we do have the resources."

Todt then explained positive elements from last year's disappointing season. "2005 was an important year for Ferrari in spite of all this because Ferrari has been  profitable, our cars have sold well and we have presented some new cars which have been successful in the market and are still looking good for the future. We have renewed some very important contracts for Formula One.

"We were the first to renew the Concorde Agreement with the FIA up to the year 2012 so something positive did take place during 2005. Perhaps it was not easy to see but they are surely important for the future of our firm."

Todt once again emphasised that the team was focusing on 2006 rather than 2007 and potential changes within the team. "I have seen and I have read that many teams are already thinking about 2007. We are thinking, for the time being, on 2006, so for 2006, we have two very motivated drivers.

"We have Michael and I spoke to him before coming here, on the mobile phone, and he was telling me that before seeing me, before dinner, he was going to train. He's motivated, he wanted to try the car before Christmas because, just like all of us, he was very displeased about the 2005 season and really he wants to do something in 2006.

"Then, and he said so clearly this morning, during the year he's going to decide whether he's going to continue or not. He does not know, so if he doesn't know, I know even less about what he is going to do in the future.

"Concerning the date when he announces it. He has no pressure. He has no pressure from the team. I let you give him pressure but he has no pressure from team. When he feels happy to decide which direction he wants to take in his career it will be convenient for us. It is up to us to organise ourselves in order to respond to the situation and to make sure that Ferrari is not penalised and can have all the elements in hand to be a winning team."

In conclusion, Todt explained that the team's hopes are high but they are certainly not deluding themselves. "Our ambitions for 2006 are high. I never said that we are going to win everything in 2006, this is not part of my nature even if I would like to see Ferrari win everything.

"But what I can say is that we are going to make greatest possible effort, we are going to do our best, we have the determination, we have the motivation so as to try to have a great season in 2006. Of course, we do know it's going to be difficult as in all years. It is not going to be easy, but as I mentioned, it has never been easy and it's part of the rules of the game. If it was easy, we would not be interested in racing. "