There are times when one tends to forget that Ralf Schumacher is still competing in F1.

This season, he has been mostly out-classed by his Toyota teammate, Jarno Trulli, who has succeeded not only in giving the Japanese team its first podium (three) results but has also out-qualified the German seven times, from eight attempts.

However, just as you struggle to think what young Ralf is doing these days, up he pops, to voice his opinion as to his brother's lack of (recent) success, and that of his team.

Earlier this season, Ralf opined that Ferrari was wrong to start the season with its 2004 car, then went on to claim that his brother would be retiring before too long.

Ahead of this weekend's United States Grand Prix, the German is once again claiming that his brother's F1 career will not last much longer and that the seven-time World Champion isn't even enjoying his racing.

"I don't believe that Michael will be driving for very much longer," the Totoya driver told Germany's Sport Bild. "He'll stay as long as he's having fun with it.

"The success in past years was obviously a lot of fun for him," added Ralf. "But he's not having that fun at the moment and I'm very anxious to see what will happen if it stays like that until the end of the season."

Funny enough, it is Ralf who appears not to be having fun in F1, not that he's ever really appeared to be enjoying himself. On the other hand, though Michael is clearly struggling, it was evident that he was having the time of life battling with Alonso at Imola, and to a lesser extent at Montreal, when chasing Kimi Raikkonen.

As for Ferrari...

"They have passed their zenith," said Ralf, "they've did a great job in past years but they're not doing it anymore."

"Mistakes have crept in in other areas," he continued, clearly feeling that the performance of the Bridgestones is not the sole issue troubling the Italian team. "It can be seen as a sign of weakness that Ferrari introduced their new car so late in the season. I'm not sure whether someone who has had such a successful time, as Ferrari has had, can still have the bite to fight back to the top."

As it happens, we have a feeling that Michael will remain in F1 after Ralf has moved to pastures new.