Schumacher then went on to say he had talked with Ferrari officials Stefano Domeicali and Luca di Montezemolo, and 'together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe'.

The German racing star added that although the F1 racing chapter had been completely closed for him, 'it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation'.

'But as the competitor I also very much look forward to facing this challenge,' the brief website statement said.