05/12/2004
NEWS STORY
Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn is convinced that Michael Schumacher could go for the ultimate challenge, ten world championship titles.
After years in the wilderness, the Italian team recruited ex Peugeot Sport boss Jean Todt. A couple of years later, Michael Schumacher was brought on-board, followed by technical director Brawn and designer Rory Byrne, bringing together (other than Todt) the team that had taken Benetton to championship winning glory.
After a couple of near misses, Ferrari and Schumacher firmly established themselves as the team to beat, the German winning five consecutive titles, and the Italian outfit six.
Brawn has clearly lost none of his admiration for Schumacher and believes the German can go on winning for some time.
"Michael is an amazing person and driver," the Englishman told The People. "What he has done will never be bettered, but if he did wrap up the next two world titles then to go on for a perfect 10 would just be the icing on the cake.
"With any other driver you would say it was impossible," he continued, "but with Michael you can't say that because he is just incredible. He is also still so motivated for a driver that has done everything he has and won so many championships.
"It's amazing," he added, "if I phone him up and say we want to do some extra testing that was not planned, he won't even question the decision but just ask where and when."
In recent years there has been much speculation as to when the German might retire, many convinced that the Ferrari star might quit on equalling, and then beating, Juan Manuel Fangio's previous record of five titles. Yet the German shows no sign of tiring of the sport, or winning.
"Every year people are saying how he can't carry on much longer because he won't have the motivation," says Brawn, "but, it is winning that drives him and every race is a challenge to him.
"He will wake up one day and know that he has had enough and that he doesn't want to race any more. But until then, he'll go out at every test session and every race having to win and beat himself because he is such a competitive person.
"He may go on and try to win 10 world drivers' championships and he is capable of doing so. But when he feels he has had enough, then we'll accept that as a team. He might have a contract with Ferrari until 2006, but that is only a piece of paper because we wouldn't get in his way if he had had enough."
As for who would replace him: "I don't know," says Brawn, "because it changes all the time. But the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso would be the drivers we'd look at when we need to.
"When Michael does retire, I don't think that it would be too hard to fill his place because it would be quite a desirable race seat and we'd be able to choose.
"I can't fear the phone call from Michael telling me he was going to quit because of what he has done for Ferrari, but it would be a shame for him not to be in F1 any more."