Dilemma Drama

The future of Michael Schumacher is one of the hottest topics in Formula One recently.

Schumi's contract with Ferrari runs until the end of this season. However, it has long been rumoured that Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen, currently with McLaren, has signed an initial agreement to join the Prancing Horse next season, to partner Schumi who will sign an extension in the near future.

The arrival of Kimi would mean that Brazilian Felipe Massa, currently the understudy to Schumi at Ferrari, will be demoted to test driving duties.

Massa, having won last Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix, has been a pleasant surprise this season. Despite a poor start, he has climbed all the way back to third place in the Championship, and his consistency is one of the biggest reasons Ferrari is now mounting a strong fight in the Constructors' Championship. His outstanding form (and in particular his win in Turkey) has won the backing of his race engineer, who said that Massa deserves to keep his seat next season.

However, Massa's good form comes at a price.

A serious headache for Jean Todt, the team principal of Ferrari.

Had Massa been struggling this season (as many had expected before the start of the season), Todt would have all the excuses in the world to relegate him to testing duties for next season. However, with Massa performing way beyond everyone's expectation, it will be extremely difficult and unfair for him to lose his seat.

And given Schumi's good performance this season, and his enthusiasm displayed this season according to some team members, it's also hard to imagine him to call it a day, even at the advanced age of 38.

And if the rumours surrounding Kimi are true (and no one expects that Ferrari signs Kimi as a test driver), then there will only be one seat available next to him at Ferrari next season. Would it be Schumi, who keeps going at the age of 39, by far the oldest driver on the track? Or would Massa keep his seat, replacing the retired Schumi thanks to his recent emergence?

Todt probably wishes that Massa had not won in Turkey.

As things turn out, Yours Truly now has to humbly eat my own words, for having a change of mind regarding the situation at Ferrari.

Yours Truly believes that when Ferrari announce their driver line-up during the Italian Grand Prix in September, we will be told that Schumi will retire, and Kimi and Massa will drive for them next season.

The reason: Ross Brawn, Ferrari's technical director, is going to take a year of sabbatical next season. Brawn has been instrumental in the success of Schumi, as all of Schumi's World Championship titles have been won with Brawn being his technical director in both Benetton and Ferrari teams. He hasn't elaborated too much on his decision, which has only fuelled further speculations among racing fans.

As the famous motor-racing journalist Nigel Roebuck has pointed out, Brawn will continue as long as Schumi does, and that he doesn't expect Brawn to take a sabbatical while Schumi is still driving. In short, he believes that Schumi is going to retire at the end of the season.

So enjoy Schumi's racing while he's still around. No doubt he is the most successful Grand Prix driver ever. A talent like him will not come around very often.

And Formula One fans can finally expect the dawn of a new era.