Formula One: Schumacher Offered New Role at Ferrari

Within half an hour of Ferrari's Michael Schumacher taking the chequered flag at Monza the mechanics were loading up the transporters and preparing to leave on their way back to their various bases across Europe.

Yet outside the Ferrari motor-homes there was still a huge throng discussing the momentous news of Schumacher's impending retirement. The German's long-time manager Willi Weber, who has worked for him since he was driving in formula three in the late 1980s, said he did not yet know what possible role his client and friend might take up with the Ferrari team in a non-driving capacity.

Asked how he was dealing with the imminent retirement, Weber said: "It's with mixed feelings, 50% happiness and 50% sadness. They were wonderful years, but that is life.

"We will stay in the big Ferrari family but we don't know how we will do it yet. We will find out at the end of the year."

Johnny Herbert, who won the 1995 British and Italian grands prix driving for the Benetton squad as Schumacher's team-mate, said he hoped that his former colleague could round off his career by clinching his eighth world title.

"The way they're rolling at the moment and with Michael more determined than ever, I think he might do that," said the British driver.

For his part, the British driver Jenson Button said he felt that Ferrari would not be weakened by the departure of Schumacher. "He'll leave and someone else will come in and take his place at Ferrari, and they are still going to have a very strong team," said Button.

"So next year it's still going to be a very competitive season."

Flavio Briatore, the Renault team boss who guided Schumacher to his first two world titles with Benetton, quipped: "I won't miss him at all."