Alonso may replace Schumacher

BERLIN (AFP) - Ferrari team boss Luca di Montezemolo admits Renault's promising Spaniard Fernando Alonso could one day replace six-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher.




But he was quick to add that the 35-year-old German still had a lot left in the tank.


The Italian team acknowledge record-breaking Schumacher will leave a huge void when he does decide to hang up his overalls but are not pressing the panic button about finding a successor.


"We can take our time in looking for a suitable driver. There is no need to rush," di Montezemolo told the Stern magazine on Wednesday.


"Ferrari does not have space for inexperienced drivers but Alonso has great potential and is a candidate for the future."


Alonso, 23, notched a maiden Formula One in the Hungarian Grand Prix last season but still needs to develop according to di Montezemolo.


"He is similar to Michael when he was at Benetton - a fantastic talent that needs time," said the Ferrari boss.


Schumacher has been inundated with questions about when he will quit Grand Prix racing but Ferrari are not putting any pressure on the man who has lifted the last four Formula One crowns.


"If he does end his career it will be at Ferrari," added di Montezemolo. "But Michael will be driving for so many years that it is difficult to imagine what he will do for the team."


Schumacher starts the defence of his title in Melbourne on Sunday in the Australian Grand Prix.