German champion hopes to give Ferrari constructors' title (ANSA) - Sao Paolo, October 20 - Although he has given up any hope of ending his career with his eighth driver's title, Ferrari's Michael Schumacher hopes to help his team win the constructors' championship in the season's last race on Sunday .

Speaking at a pre-race weekend press conference, the sevens times world champion said "I would really like to do my best to give Ferrari the constructors' title. To a manufacturer it's a very important prize and it would be a nice way to end my career, helping them to one more trophy" .

The German's hopes to close his career with his eighth title, six with Ferrari and two with Benetton-Renault, went up in smoke at the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this month when be blew his engine for the first time in over six years and 110 races .


At the time he was in the lead with 17 laps to go and ahead of Renault's reigning world champion Fernando Alonso, with whom he shared the top spot in the drivers' standings .

The Spaniard went on to win the race and put 10 points between him and the man he dethroned in 2005 after a five-year run as world champion .

Looking ahead to Sunday's race, Schumacher said he was "trying to treat this Grand Prix as just another race. However, it occasionally does cross my mind that it will be my last one" .

In regards to the driver's title, the Ferrari driver said "I stick to the view I held immediately after the Japanese Grand Prix, which is that, in my opinion, the title is already lost" .

Schumacher can still win the championship in the unlikely scenario he wins here and Alonso drops out of the race or fails to pick up even one point, by not coming in among the top eight .

This would put the two drivers on equal points but the title wold go to Schumacher because he would have won more Grand Prix this season, eight against seven. Despite this slim chance, Schumacher said "I don't want to race hoping that a rival will retire or have problems. However, this doesn't mean I don't plan to do my best" .

"I will be tackling this race the same way I have with all the others: trying to win," he added .

Because of Schumacher's breakdown in Japan, Ferrari now finds itself nine points behind Renault in the constructors' championship .

Schumacher had a poor start to the season and by the halfway mark was 25 points behind Alonso .

The second half of the season saw him chip into the Spaniard's lead and they went level on points at the October 1 Chinese Grand Prix .