Schumacher to quit soon says brother Ralf

Michael Schumacher will soon retire from formula one because he is no longer enjoying himself behind the wheel, his brother Ralf has predicted.

“I don’t believe that Michael will be driving for very much longer,” said the younger of the two German racing brothers in an interview with Sport Bild newspaper. “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; 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.”

Speculation over the elder Schumacher’s future has intensified this season as the 36-year-old, the oldest driver in formula one, has battled to achieve results in the new Ferrari, which has been beset by poor performances from its Bridgestone tyres. He last won a grand prix in October at Suzuka, Japan, and any hopes of extending his all-time record to eight world championships this season have virtually disappeared.

Schumacher currently holds fifth place in the drivers’ championship, 35 points behind Renault’s Fernando Alonso, who leads with 59 with 11 races of the 19 races remaining. The German’s current contract with Ferrari lasts until the end of 2006 and he has made it clear that he will let the team know by the end of this season whether he wishes to renew it.

This could be crucial for the future of Ferrari because Rubens Barrichello’s contract also expires next season, as do the deals with Ross Brawn, the technical director, and the former chief designer Rory Byrne, who is now tutoring Aldo Costa in that key role.

However, Ralf Schumacher believes that Ferrari are a fading force. “Ferrari have passed their zenith,” he said. “They’ve did a great job in past years but they’re not doing it any more.

“Mistakes have crept in in other areas. 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 have had, can still have the bite to fight back to the top.”

Ralf made these comments just before arriving in Indianapolis today where the US grand prix takes place on Sunday and where he too will be hoping for better luck with his Toyota.

Although the brothers are not close, last year’s race here proved pivotal for them both as Ralf crashed into the concrete retaining wall at over 170mph, leaving his brother - who was leading the race and went on to win the grand prix - to thread a path through the wreckage of the Williams-BMW in which his younger brother sat temporarily stunned. Ralf Schumacher suffered back injuries in the accident which kept him out of the cockpit for another six races before he made his comeback in the Chinese grand prix.