Schuey still craves competitive action

Dubai: Michael Schumacher spurned Ferrari's pleas for him to become the Italian team's 5million pounds-a-year grand prix race boss.

His sensational knockback, kept secret until now, staggered the Ferrari hierarchy, especially when he said he preferred to focus on his new passion - motorbike racing.

The seven-times Formula One world champion - five of his titles won back-to-back in a Ferrari - was strongly courted by Luca Montezemolo, the company's powerful supremo, to take the job at the start of this season.

Frenchman Jean Todt had announced he was stepping down from the role and his job was offered to the German ace.

But by then 39-year-old Schumacher was sticking his neck out - and crashing frequently - in in his homeland's motorbike racing championship harbouring plans to take it even more seriously next year.

Despite Montezemolo's overtures and F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone's eagerness for him to take up the offer, he opted instead to assume a less demanding position as advisor to the team, sitting occasionally on the trackside pitwall and playing mentor to Brazilian driver Felipe Massa.

Meanwhile, the team manager's job was handed to the affable Stefano Domenicali, a popular figure for the Prancing Horse outfit around the paddock.

Schuey, who pocketed around £900m from his spectacular record-breaking career, had talked the offer over with his wife, who mindful of the new risks he faced in motorbiking, would have preferred him to accept the offer. Schuey, however, hated the idea of being stuck in an office, far removed from the action and competitive involvement he craved.

"I saw how much passion and dedication Jean put into the job - just like I did in the car - and it was awesome," he said.

"But far too often he was just sitting behind his desk in Maranello, day after day, late into the night and even at weekends. And I said to myself 'Do I need this?' My answer was 'No. Not at all'."

Schumacher was sticking his neck out in his homeland's motorbike racing championship harbouring plans to take it even more seriously next year.