Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has all but admitted Michael Schumacher will return to F1 with the Mercedes team.

Schumacher, who is working as a consultant for Ferrari after retiring at the end of the 2006 season, is believed to be in contract talks with Mercedes, who brought this year’s championship-winning Brawn GP team.

Suggesting it was actually Schumacher’s ‘twin’ in talks with Mercedes, di Montezemolo said:

“The real Schumacher, the one I know, will always remain in the Ferrari family. Then there’s his totally identical twin brother who seems to have the idea in his head to go and race in Formula One with Mercedes.

“I don’t know him personally, but it’s clear that we cannot offer him anything: we have two young drivers like Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, who we are expecting a lot from next year.”

Di Montezemolo suggested that his desire to return was sparked by a possible return to Ferrari to replace Felipe Massa, although a neck injury prevented him from doing so. The Ferrari president said:

“I think that when I asked him to replace Felipe after that terrible accident in Budapest this summer, the desire to race came back powerfully and not being able to finish what he wanted to do left a great void that we cannot satisfy.

“We tried to advance the idea of a third car but for the moment it is not possible. I don’t know what his future decision will be but I give my best regards to him, or rather, to his twin.”

Two Schumachers! The rest of the pack might as well just give in now!