Alonso: Schu has already decided retirement date

Michael Schumacher will not be distracted in this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix because he has already decided whether or not to retire, according to Fernando Alonso.

Schumacher, who trails Alonso by 12 points in the world championship, has spent this season wrestling with the question of retirement.

Ferrari will reveal all when they unveil their 2007 line-up on Sunday but Alonso claims Schumacher will have no problem ignoring the rampant speculation at Monza.

The Renault driver said: “Michael is concentrating on the race, on the championship.

“He does not have to take the decision. He has already made the decision - one week ago, one month ago – to stay or to continue.

“He will say on Sunday afternoon and it will not change his motivation or performance this weekend or over the rest of the year – the same for Ferrari.

“We all want to win, Renault, Ferrari and Michael want to win. It will not change anything.”

Alonso, 12 years Schumacher’s junior at just 25, has always relished beating Formula One’s most successful driver.

But despite the added satisfaction of fighting with – and beating – an established great such as Schumacher, the Spaniard will not miss his rival.

“It’s always good to race with great champions and people with a lot of wins, pole positions, fastest laps and all the records Michael had,” he added.

“It’s always good to beat him, better than the other ones.

“But if he goes there are still another 21 fantastic drivers to challenge next year and beat. I think it is not necessary to miss anyone.”

However, Alonso concedes no driver is likely to beat Schumacher’s record of seven world titles and, so far, 89 wins.

But he claims even someone with Schumacher’s talent had to rely heavily on luck to rewrite the record book so comprehensively.

“I think you need to be extremely lucky with the right team always,” he said. “We saw last year Michael is still a fantastic driver but he finished seventh and eighth in most grands prix.

“To be in the best car for so many years like him, is difficult for any one of us. I think it will be difficult to improve his records.”

Schumacher’s Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa, who beat Alonso to victory last time out in Turkey, led the tributes to Schumacher, who is expected to announce his retirement.

Massa is in his first season alongside Schumacher and he confessed the German’s retirement would rob him of a chance to boost his own reputation.

He said: “I want another go at him. The last race was very special for me - winning your first race and seeing your team-mate is Michael Schumacher is amazing. You never forget that.

“It is a big pleasure to have the experience of racing with him. He is a very nice guy, we get along quite well.

“He is very professional, definitely the most complete driver in Formula One.”

But for another of Formula One’s rising stars, Schumacher’s retirement at the end of the season would come too soon.

Heikki Kovalainen will make his Formula One debut for Renault next year and he hopes Schumacher is still around.

The Finn, who beat Schumacher in the 2005 Race of Champions, said: “As a rookie next year it would be great to fight with Michael – he has won everything. We want to see him with us next year.

“I had a chance one time to fight with him and I’d like to have another go.

“It was nothing like a Formula One race but it was a great moment, I was more of a nobody than I am now.

“It was a great opportunity to beat him because we all had the same cars. It’s one of the best moments in my career.”