Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher will cut short his holiday and resume testing with Ferrari next week, the Formula One team said on Tuesday.
A spokesman said it would be the first time since 1998 that the German had reported back to work between the end of the season and the New Year but denied there were any special reasons.
"He said to us that he was available and we thought it would be helpful," he said. "It's nothing major."
Schumacher will test in Jerez on Dec. 15 and 16. Ferrari's new car is not due to be formally unveiled until the second half of January.
Ferrari have just had their worst season since Schumacher joined in 1996, ending a run of six consecutive constructors' titles with third place overall behind champions Renault and McLaren.
The dominant team of 2004, with Schumacher winning 13 races, won just once this year -- the 36-year-old German leading a six-car procession at the U.S. Grand Prix after Michelin-equipped teams pulled out.
The engine rules are changing next year, with the old V10s replaced by V8 units, and teams have a heavy testing workload before the season starts in Bahrain on March 12.
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"We are already at a good point with the development of the V8: performance and reliability are good already, and we have also done several race simulations," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.
"As for the tyres...we haven't yet solved some problems, but we are on the right road, there are still months of development ahead and now we have Toyota and Williams to lend a hand," he added.
Ferrari have been joined on Bridgestone tyres by Toyota and Michelin after being the only top team with the Japanese manufacturer this year.
