Schumacher will take particular interest in the GT department

Michael Schumacher has extended his contract as a consultant at Ferrari for another three years, with particular focus on the development of road cars.

The German only last month abandoned plans to return to the track for the first time in nearly three years as stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa.

But the seven-time world champion will continue the consultancy role he first took up in 2007 until 2012.

"I have always been happy to be part of the Ferrari family," he said.

"We agreed that I will give my input more and more into the GT-department, the area of the road-cars.

"I already enjoyed a lot participating in the development of the Ferrari California, the 430 Scuderia and the new 458 Italia, which we will present next Tuesday at the Frankfurt Motorshow, and so I very much look forward to participating in future projects.

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"The name Ferrari for me symbolises passion, quality and highest sportiness."

The 40-year-old had been due to step in to the driver's seat for the first time since his retirement at the end of 2006 after Massa was sidelined by serious head injuries he sustained in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying in July.

However, a neck injury thwarted his plans, forcing Ferrari to first hand test driver Luca Badoer the seat before settling on Force India's driver Giancarlo Fisichella for the remainder of the season.

That meant Schumacher returned to the consultancy role he has enjoyed since 2007.

He first acted as a Ferrari advisor to then chief executive Jean Todt before moving on to car development in 2008.

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