Ralf Schumacher's hopes of driving for Spyker next year appear to have been ended.
New Spyker boss plays down Schumacher talk
Ralf Schumacher's hopes of remaining in Formula One with the Spyker team appear to have been dashed by the team's new joint-owner, Indian businessman Vijay Mallya.
The German recently announced that he would not be driving for current team Toyota next season, a move seen by many as signalling the end of his decade-long career at the top.
However, through a sponsorship deal between Toyota and Mallya's Kingfisher company, Schumacher has forged links with the new Spyker boss - leading to suggestions that his F1 career might be prolonged.
Rumours
But Mallya has acted to end the rumours, by stating that Spyker's 2008 driver line-up will not be influenced by factors such as "sympathy", with the team looking instead for the best pairing available.
"I know Ralf well from my role as a sponsor of the Toyota team and I personally hold him in high regard," said Mallya who, alongside co-owner Michiel Mol, acquired Spyker last week.
"But a driver line-up is not something that should be decided by the heart but by the brain. I want drivers that can raise the standards in the team.
"I always get asked if we will have an Indian driver, and my response is - if I can find one who is ready, yes. But only under the parameters just said."
Speaking on the official Formula One website, Mallya added: "Drivers are a crucial part of the team so the driver line-up is a serious matter and not a sympathy contest."
