Highlights

Renault discord helps Schumacher - Ralf

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-10-05 10:05

"I was just asked what I knew about it and certainly by the time Michael announced his retirement I had almost left the circuit," said Ralf.

"When journalists asked me I said I would hear about it via the press and that was the way it was - Michael announced it via the press and that's how I got it.

"We had a busy weekend and I had to go back home. It is a very special moment and I'm sure Michael had his reasons to do it the way he did it."

Ralf also said he had mixed feelings about the decision of the sport's ruling FIA to drop Suzuka from the 2007 calendar in favour of Toyota-owned Fuji Speedway.

"It's like two hearts in a chest," he smiled. "As a Toyota employee it's good to have the race there (at Fuji). From a driving point of view I always loved Suzuka, so I will miss it a bit."

Ralf lent his support to those in the sport lobbying the FIA to stage two races annually in Japan - at Honda-owned Suzuka and at Fuji.

"We have only one German race now, so I'm sure there are races in Europe that you might be able to get rid of and position them in a better country for marketing purposes," he said.

"Since there are two major manufacturers being part of Formula One in Japan there is good reason to have two grands prix here instead of having maybe two in Italy."

Ralf, on pole position at Suzuka last year, was under no illusions about Toyota stealing the thunder from the Ferraris and Renaults this weekend - or at the final race in Brazil on October 22 - following a frustrating year.

"It has been a difficult season," he said. "We started off very poor and faced some reliability issues which we didn't see in the years before.

"The last two races were also kind of a disaster. I still believe our car in the right circumstances is able to be on the podium. But we have to get our act together and keep pushing."