Michael Schumacher's defection to Mercedes breaks Ferrari hearts

The company Ferrari is on a trailer making its way from Geneva back to Maranello. The Michael Schumacher love-in is no more in Italy after a telephone call on Wednesday morning made to Ferrari's chief of staff, Luca di Montezemolo, by a driver described by Il Presidente as a Schumacher impostor.

"There must be another one who looks like him. He is German, has the same name, same age, 40 or 41, and has decided to try again. I like this person but he is another Michael. The one I know confirmed to me he would finish his career at Ferrari."

Schumacher was not calling to wish Di Montezemolo a buon Natale but to confirm the truth of a story revealed first by Telegraph Sport last month, that he would be returning to the track next year as a Mercedes driver. "We spoke yesterday [Wednesday]," Di Montezemolo said. "He told me, 'there is a strong possibility, but it is not 100 per cent decided'."

Not 100 per cent decided? That is Schumi speak for it's nailed on boss, but it's bloody hard to give it to you straight. You would be right, Schumi. Di Montezemolo and all at Ferrari world are hurt by the defection.

"I have cried in this job twice; in 1975 at Monza when Niki [Lauda] won the championship for Ferrari for first time in 13 years," Di Montezemolo said. "The second was when Michael came out of the car for the last time at a track day. It was very moving. I was convinced the main reason Michael stopped was the sponsors, the testing, the press, every day the same.

"He said to me that if he could arrive on Saturday for qualifying and come back on Sunday for the race he would carry on. I don't know what the possibilities are at Mercedes for this other guy called Michael.

"For me it is difficult. If I talk with him as a friend and see this determination [to race again] I am pleased. But as Ferrari chairman I'm sad. He has given a lot to Ferrari and received a lot from us. This is why we have to accept that there is another Michael, not the real Michael that we knew."

To be a fly on that fibre optic cable when Schumi was on the line would have been a trade worth considering. Especially for the moment when Di Montezemolo shared with Schumacher the reaction of the tifosi. "We have a lot of fans. On the website they are upset. They say that he is a … come se dice? [how does one say?] uno traditore, a traitor, yes that's it. I will explain to them that it is not the Michael but the other one."

Di Montezemolo was giving his annual post-season address at Maranello, a statesman like affair in which the Ferrari patriarch parcels up the season just gone and sends out his message for the year ahead.

The year about to pass was easily summarised into two parts; Ferrari's failure to spot the twin diffuser coming its way on the back of the Brawn and the injury to Felipe Massa, which stoked Schumacher's fire and ultimately Di Montezemolo's ire.

Though he would have been asked about Schumacher anyway, Di Montezemolo required no invitation to outline his position. It was he who persuaded Schumacher to think about a comeback in the first place with a call to him following Massa's crash.

"Replacing Massa in an uncompetitive car the pressure was not so big. I had to convince him to consider it. I called and told Michael that I needed his help to replace Felipe. For five minutes he said no.

"Then he said yes. When I spoke to him [again] he had been to see his doctor in Germany. He said he could not do anything because of problems with his neck. He was more than sad, he was destroyed."

Ferrari had already signed Fernando Alonso for 2011. The seriousness of Massa's condition persuaded Ferrari to bring that forward. Embarrassingly, perhaps, it was Kimi Raikkonen whom eventually made way when it became clear Massa would race again. Once reintroduced to the idea of resuming a race seat, Schumacher could not let it go.

Since there was no opening at Ferrari, Di Montezemolo campaigned for the introduction of a third car. This would have allowed Schumacher to run again in a front-line Ferrari, even if they had to dress it up as a different team, Ferrari USA, for example.

"We were happy to give him the possibility to replace Massa. We tried to push for the third car, a car managed by another team. That was not accepted," Di Montezemolo said.

That was that. Or at least as far as Ferrari were concerned. Along the paddock Mercedes were busy moving house from McLaren to Brawn.

At the final grand prix of the season, in Abu Dhabi, Schumacher was seen chatting intimately with Ross Brawn and Daimler chairman, Dr Dieter Zetsche, a conversation that grew in significance as news of Schumacher's impending return began to bubble to the surface.

The call to Montezemolo last Wednesday, made public on Friday by the Ferrari president, was the first word on the matter from Schumacher. Expect a formal announcement soon.

Wilder speculation has Schumacher signing a four-year deal worth $20 million a year. Hard to put a price on the fairytale that was; five world championships with the greatest marque on earth. The tifosi would not give tuppence for him now, a 13 year-marriage in worse shape than that of Tiger Woods.

The future arrives next month at Ferrari's winter camp in Madonna di Campiglio in the shape of Alonso. The Spanish double world champion should have been at Maranello long ago. Those who thought Schumacher's legend would never be surpassed should think again. Eight world titles? If the car is anywhere near, Alonso will drive it home.