Formula One: US no-show could cost Schumacher

Michael Schumacher could risk being stripped of his Formula One world title if he decides to pull out of the United States Grand Prix.

Schumacher has been given the option by Ferrari not to compete at Indianapolis on Sunday week following last week's terrorist attacks on America.

But Schumacher, who won his fourth championship in Hungary last month, has been warned by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone that staying at home could put his drivers' crown at risk.

Ecclestone was been quoted as saying: "Let's get one thing straight, Michael Schumacher is not yet the 2001 world champion.

"Anything could happen.

"Maybe he could lose his points over one of the next three races. I'm sure that won't be the case, but it could be."

It would seem unlikely that even Ecclestone would move to strip Schumacher of the title given his domination of the championship this season.

The 32-year-old has won eight of the 15 races and with just the US and Japanese GPs left - if they go ahead - is a massive 50 points ahead of second-placed Scotsman David Coulthard of McLaren.

Schumacher was asked if he wanted to miss Sunday's Italian Grand Prix - which should have been a glorious celebration in front of the Ferrari's fanatical fans - because of his state of mind having clearly been deeply affected by the events in North America.

"Michael was very disheartened when he arrived here," said Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt at Monza. "I asked him if he felt like competing in this race or if he would prefer to stop.

"At Monza, he wanted to do it, but following this we will decide and respect his opinion. It is he who drives and he who needs to say if he feels like doing it."

If Schumacher does pull out it could see other drivers follow suit, with team-mate Rubens Barrichello saying that he would want assurances it was safe to go.

Schumacher, a father of two young children, is - like many others in the sport including brother Ralf - understandably fearful about going to a country that has declared itself at war following the attacks on New York and Washington.

Schumacher's withdrawal would see test driver Luca Badoer replace him in the Ferrari.