Ralf Schumacher has hinted that he could call time on his
Formula 1 career after a difficult test with the Force India team at
Jerez.
The former
Williams and
Toyota driver joined the former-Spyker squad on the third day of running in Spain as he became the latest driver to be given the chance to impress new team owner Vijay Mallya - with Tonio Liuzzi,
Giancarlo Fisichella, Franck Montagny and Christian Klien having also taken to the track as the Silverstone-based outfit seeks a partner for
Adrian Sutil for 2008.
However, the test proved to be far from straightforward for Schumacher with off-track excursions and mechanical issues meaning he ended his day of running at the bottom of the timesheets – with his time being the slowest of the five drivers to test for the team this week.
It has left Schumacher now evaluating his future options, admitting that it is unlikely he will chase a deal with the team.
"It looks like that was the last time I will drive a
Formula One car,” he was quoted by German newspaper
Bild. "It is not expected that I will join
Force India, I took on the test drive as an opportunity to prove myself."
"I would like to continue my career in
F1, but it is not an obligation," he then added on television channel
RTL. "I would like to continue, but I don't know if these are the right conditions."
Schumacher has already declared an interest in the vacant seat at
McLaren following the departure of
Fernando Alonso, although he is seen as having little more than an outside chance of partnering
Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
