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Schumacher keeps everybody guessing

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-03-24 08:41

In the meantime, the rumours will keep swirling.

There is persistent speculation linking McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen to Ferrari for 2007 while others are convinced that Schumacher wants to carry on and has signed up for two more years at Maranello.

Some have even suggested that the 37-year-old could jump to champions Renault to replace Alonso, who is moving to McLaren, and complete a merry-go-round among the top three drivers.

Last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, with Schumacher finishing behind his young Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa, added another angle to the intrigue.

Even if engine failures and strategy played into Massa's hands, never before in his time at Ferrari has Schumacher finished directly behind a team mate so early in the season.

Team orders are banned now, after Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was told to let Schumacher through in Austria in 2002, but Sepang still seemed to hint at a change of tack even if the significance was unclear.

"I was not able to get past Felipe because I just wasn't fast enough and he didn't make any mistakes," said Schumacher afterwards.

Thank goodness for that, was Hill's reaction at a race that also saw Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella beat Alonso to the chequered flag.

"It's particularly good to see good drivers like Fisichella win a race...you need races where there is an ebb and flow between people in the same team rather than just one person dominating," he said.

"Massa beating Michael and Fisi beating Alonso...all those things make it interesting from the result point of view."