Ferrari star widely expected to announce retirement (ANSA) - Rome, September 8 - The question that has been bothering Ferrari fans for most of the season is finally to be answered on Sunday, when Michael Schumacher is set to tell the world whether he is retiring .

The seven-times world champion, who is 37, has said he will clear up all doubts on the question after the end of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza .

Much of the Formula 1 world is convinced he will announce on Sunday that his glittering career as a driver will come to an end with the final grand prix of 2006 .

He has ruled out racing for any other team apart from Ferrari, which he joined in 1996. Everyone in the Ferrari camp has been tight-lipped on Schumacher's future but earlier this week Renault's manager Flavio Briatore said he was certain the German was going .


Briatore, who as head of the Benetton team in the early-1990s discovered and nurtured Schumacher's talent, said that certain mistakes made by the star in recent races were "signs of his age" .

Schumacher has resolutely refused in recent days to speak about anything except the Italian Grand Prix itself, which he is desperate to win in order to keep alive hopes of winning his eighth world title .

The Ferrari driver is currently 12 points behind world champion Fernando Alonso in the drivers' standings with four races left in the season, including Monza .

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 .

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 has voiced satisfaction over the way his Ferrari racing car has performed in recent tests. But he admitted on Friday that he he did not expect Alonso to be far behind him on Sunday, even if he managed to win .

Ferrari has a good record at Monza. Schumacher has won there four times .