Weber: announcement overshadowed race

Speaking in the wake of official confirmation that Schumacher will step down from race driving at the end of the year, Weber has said he thinks it a shame that the title battle has been overshadowed by retirement talk.

"To be honest, maybe I would say that now we should not speak at all (about retirement) and just finish the season," he said. "For the last four days I don't know what I was doing here. I just gave answers about what he was doing, and nobody thought we were driving a race here.

"He drove a fantastic race, he won the race and we are near now to the championship. This is completely gone and that is a pity."

Weber did not go as far as saying that it was wrong of Ferrari to make Schumacher announce his future this weekend, even though there are suggestions that the seven-times champion wanted to delay confirming his future.

"You never find the right time to make an announcement like this, so I think it was okay," he said about the actual timing of what happened.

Weber made it clear that Schumacher came to his decision alone, after he was recommended to step down if he won an eighth championship.

"The decision to stop was only by Michael," explained Weber. "What I told him was that when you win the eighth title it is better we stop because this is the maximum you can achieve.

"With so many wins and so many titles you leave F1 not as a king, more than a king. You are the absolute hero.

"I think nobody else will achieve what he did - eight titles, I say eight at the moment but it is seven and a half, and so many wins. It is a sensation. It is a phenomenon and I think nobody else will achieve it."