Interesting times ahead

So with the news last week that both Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez are on the move at the end of the season attention now focusses on firstly will Michael Schumacher call it quits? And secondly what are Ferrari's plans for Felipe Massa?

Michael Schumacher has said that he is still motivated and the fact that he is leaving Mercedes doesn't necessarily mean that he will be out of Formula One. The Sauber team have been extremely competitive this season. Sergio Perez, who is replacing Lewis at McLaren next season has so far scored three podium finishes for the Swiss team who currently lie in 6th in the Constructors championship 35 points behind Mercedes, So Schumacher could end up at Sauber as team owner Peter Sauber has said that he would be willing to offer the German a drive next season.

The team's CEO, Monisha Keltenborn has also said that it would be fantastic for a team like Sauber to have the seven time's world champion at the team.

Schumacher will be 44 in January before the new season start's and in my opinion his reaction time's have become impaired as he has failed to finish 50 percent of the races so far this season and in Singapore last weekend he had a massive accident and went out of the race. So as I have said previously if he intent on continuing driving F1 cars he should o what David Coulthard do demonstration runs for Sauber of Mercedes.

Everyone thought and myself included that when it was announced on Friday that Hamilton was replacing Schumacher that he would stay at the Brackley based team as a consultant of some sort however that would appear not to be the case.

So what are Ferrari going to do? Felipe Massa is out of contract at the end of the year and there have been major questions about the Brazilian's future. As I said last week Force India's Nico Hulkenberg has been linked with the team however no decision has been made. If Force India decide to keep both Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg Massa could receive a reprive from Ferrari bosses however he needs to desperately up his came over the final six race's of the season in order to persuade the Ferrari management that he deserves to keep his sit alongside Fernando Alonso next season, who it would appear is most likely to win this years championship.

Massa on the other hand, is currently in 10th in the standing's on 51 points and appears unlikely to be challenging for the podium at the moment. For his part Massa is not worried about his future and is concentrating on racing the best he can for the rest of the season.

However in my opinion he has to be a little concerned about the driver market, because should Schumacher move to Sauber and Ferrari decide to release Massa he could look at Force India provided the team are looking for a driver or he could follow his fellow Brazilian Rubens Barrichello to the IZOD IndyCar Series. The picture should become clearer later this week or indeed at the Japanese GrandPrix this weekend.