The Weekly Grapevine
Once again Michael Schumacher's uncertain future takes the drivers market into a frenzy. But what chances are there of seeing the World Champion in a Red Bull or a Toyota?
The M Factor
So, just what took Willi Weber so long?
When McLaren announced the signing of Fernando Alonso, effective from 2007, the German manager, once rated the best in the paddock, surely realized that Michael Schumacher's market value had dropped drastically, particularly given that the seven-time champion's present contract expires at exactly the point at which Alonso's kicks in.
That being so, McLaren's management will sooner or later find themselves in the rather enviable position of having an embarrassment of riches when it comes to driver selection - either 2005 title runner-up Kimi Raikkonen or multiple Grand Prix winner and pole position specialist Juan Pablo Montoya as running mate to the Spanish World Champion, as Formula One moves into its last year under the present Concorde Agreement.
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