Motor Racing: Schumacher out for three months

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER is likely to be out of Formula One for three months, the Ferrari driver's manager, Willi Weber, said yesterday.

"The most important thing is for him to become fully fit and recover from his leg injury properly," Weber said after visiting the double former world champion at a clinic in Switzerland. "For those reasons, a pause of three months sounds realistic. He will need that long for a full recovery."

A three-month absence would rule Schumacher out of all but the last two races of the season - Malaysia on October 17 and Japan on October 31 - and would certainly mean the end of the German's attempt to lift his third world title this season.

Weber said Schumacher would concentrate on being 100 per cent fit for next season and would not rush back.

"We don't want to take any risks and the doctors have advised him not to," Weber said. "He doesn't want to come back too early and risk long-term sequels."

Weber refused to comment on reports that Schumacher might end his career after the accident at Silverstone last Sunday. "I wish I hadn't heard that," he said. "So few days after this accident, it's too early to talk about a comeback. We should only be concerned about his recovery. Then will come rehabilitation. The most important thing for Michael is his health. He's not thinking about motor racing at this stage."