Weber: Schumacher's future is open

On the back of comments from Schumacher over the weekend that he may quit F1 at the end of the season if Ferrari do not deliver a competitive package this year, Webber has suggested that there is a possibility of a team switch.

Speaking about why Schumacher said there was a 'one percent' chance he would change outfits at the end of the year, Weber claimed that it was too early to rule anything out.

"Why Michael leaves the one per cent open is clear," Weber told Bild on Tuesday. "In F1, you always get surprises. And even if McLaren have [Fernando] Alonso for 2007, there is still another big player on the market."

Weber's remarks about the big player are a clear reference to Toyota, where Schumacher's brother Ralf Schumacher is committed for the long-term.

"Look at Toyota's advertising slogan," added Weber, referring to their 'Nothing is Impossible' campaign. "We will look at how the season starts and it will not be until the summer that we make a decision."

And although the possibility of both Schumachers racing in the same team has previously been ruled out because it would have impacted on the value of one of the drivers when they were both managed by Weber, the fact that Ralf now manages his own affairs has changed the situation considerably.

"That (both Schumachers racing in the same team) would not be any more a problem," continued Weber. "In former times it was, but today it does not have to be."

Weber's comments about Toyota may just be a way of trying to raise his bargaining position at Ferrari ahead of imminent contract talks later this year.