Speculation mounts over Ferrari star's future (ANSA) - Rome, September 6 - Ferrari's Michael Schumacher admitted on Wednesday that he could do with a bit of luck at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend if he is to close in on his eighth world title .

Twelve points separate Schumacher from Renault's Fernando Alonso, the current standings leader, and the German now has only four races left in the season to catch the Spanish star .

Unfortunately for Ferrari, Alonso has a habit of always scoring well, even when Schumacher manages to grab the full ten points awarded to grand prix winners .

"Now we are 12 points behind Alonso. It's not hard to work out what we have to do in Monza. I'm crossing my fingers," he told reporters .


Pundits in the sports press have noted that Schumacher's task would be made much easier if Alonso's car suffered a breakdown at Monza, a situation which would leave him with no points .

Schumacher also voiced satisfaction over the way his Ferrari racing car had performed in recent tests .

"I feel very happy because we did some great work last week. The car went extremely well. It was faster than the others, even if Renault was quite close," he said .

The German declined to comment on speculation he is about to announce his retirement from Formula 1. The 37-year-old driver has said he will announce his decision on his future after the Italian race this weekend .

Many observers in the sport are convinced he is now racing the last grands prix of his glittering career .

German newspaper Bild splashed the words 'Schumacher Retires' across its front page on Wednesday, predicting confidently that Sunday's announcement in Monza would be a "shock for his fans" .