Schumacher won’t stop there!

Ralf Schumacher has made it clear that he has no intention of ending his successful decade in Formula 1 following the official announcement of his departure from Toyota after the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix.

The German has decided to leave the Japanese team after three years where the quest for challenges was his driving force, but his choice of team to be on the grid in 2008 seems limited.

An opening to Spyker was widely mentioned as his biggest realistic option, but the new owner Vijay Mallya cooled the German this week after his words regarding his driver lineup for 2008.

It has also been suggested that Schumacher could move to other horizons in Germany, with the prestigious DTM touring car championship. Ralf, however, insists that he is in talks with potential new employers as he is determined to extend his F1 adventure as long as possible.

In an interview with ITV Sport’s Louise Goodman, Schumacher stated that his goal for 2008 was definitely to stay in Formula 1.

« We are talking to other teams, obviously I can’t say who, as of today. It will take some time, but my main goal is to finish the last race of the season in a good position for the team and for myself, and then to go knock on different doors, » he stated.

The 32-year-old driver will finish this year at his lowest ranking ever recorded in this drivers’ championship. He admits that 2007 was below his expectations with Toyota and highlights the fact that the team has still not managed to take advantage of its potential with a few sketches of performance that have never truly materialized.

« Well, I think the frustration was quite clear to all the team members. Everyone worked really hard and we all gave it our all, but the results weren’t there this year. We started the season with very high expectations, but those expectations did not materialize, except for a few races where we were very, very strong, » added Schumacher.

“But at the same time, sometimes, we retired due to mechanical issues, which was the main disappointment of this year.”

Schumacher believes the time has come to make a clean break.

“The two parties are not meeting these objectives, and if you are wondering if it is heading in the right direction, I think it is fair to make a decision and, as a result, give someone else the chance to shine instead of me,” he concluded.