Schumacher unsure over F1 future

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (AFP) –

Michael Schumacher, seen here in August 2012, dismissed suggestions on Sunday that had already decided to leave Formula One again at the end of the season after he finished a strong seventh in his 300th race, the Belgian Grand Prix.

Michael Schumacher dismissed suggestions on Sunday that had already decided to leave Formula One again at the end of the season after he finished a strong seventh in his 300th race, the Belgian Grand Prix.

The seven-times champion said he had spoken to Formula One commercial ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone on Saturday, but had not told him he had decided to retire – or had made any decision yet on his future.

Ecclestone had told BBC Television earlier that he was sad that Schumacher was leaving this time without winning another race to add to the 91 he won in his ‘original’ career with Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari.

Schumacher said: “I guess he said: ‘If I would leave?’, as I told him yesterday I had not made a decision about my future and there is nothing new.”

Asked about his 300th race, in which he ran strongly among the front runners for a time and held second place, he said: “We tried to gamble and try our luck with our race strategy, it looked reasonable from the start as we did reasonable lap times in my first stint.

“I needed to push my tyres against Daniel Ricciardo and that decided we had to come in again.

“I think it was a good decision to come in and fight again in the last laps, but that came to an end when I lost sixth gear.

“I enjoyed my 300th grand prix – it is beautiful to fight for the top end positions and it is sad when you cannot take it home.”