Helmut Marko has played down Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo’s threat that formula one could be headed for a split from owners CVC.

Montezemolo told CNN last week that at the end of 2012 and the current Concorde Agreement CVC “doesn’t own anything” and therefore creating a different world championship is a real option for the teams.

Red Bull’s motor racing consultant Marko however admitted that the dispute is fundamentally about the distribution of revenue for the next Concorde.

“A suitable compromise can hopefully be found,” he told German website motorsport-magazin.com at the opening of the Red Bull Ring.

“Ferrari are the best-known team and have been in F1 the longest — but being Italian, they tend to express things more emotionally than others. In my opinion, the situation is nowhere near as bad as it looks,” said Marko.

New York Times correspondent Brad Spurgeon said the latest breakaway talk is “exasperating for the fans” coming so soon after the last political dispute with the FIA.

A potential hurdle for proposed buyer News Corp is the law, with prominent competition lawyer Paul Stone reportedly concerned that Rupert Murdoch’s presence would be unfair for bidding television broadcasters.

He is quoted by Germany’s Speed Week as saying a News takeover “would raise concerns”.

The latest rumour is that while Michael Schumacher is expected to be back in the paddock next year, he might not return to the Mercedes cockpit.

When the seven time world champion was asked if he was going to return to retirement after his disappointing 2010 comeback, he told reporters on Thursday: “You cannot get rid of me, let’s put it this way.”

The bulk of the media took that to mean he intends to keep racing in 2011.

But the New York Times’ correspondent Brad Spurgeon has admitted he was tempted to follow up the question by asking Schumacher if his role next year might not be as a driver, but in a management role such as ‘sporting director’.

Germany’s Bild newspaper has also heard the rumours about Schumacher staying in F1 in another role once his driving days are over.

Asked if he can imagine a similar post-racing role, Fernando Alonso said in Singapore: “Not at all — team bosses have to work too hard!”

And the Spaniard, who stopped Schumacher from achieving an eighth title in 2006, insisted he is not among those who are criticising the 41-year-old German.

“I say only this: Michael is a legend, he won five titles with Ferrari and, with Ferrari, I am yet to win one.

“He doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody, and he will be faster next year,” added Alonso.

Jun.8 (GMM)  The facilities at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve are good enough for formula one, according to race promoter Francois Dumonitier.

With 24 teams now squeezed into the modest Montreal pit building, it would be easy to negatively compare the Canadian venue with the likes of Shanghai, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi.

“It is this place that reminds me more than any other track on the F1 calendar of the look and feel of what it was like to go to Mosport to attend the first ever Canadian grand prix in 1967,” wrote New York Times correspondent Brad Spurgeon in 2008, F1′s most recent visit to Montreal.

But promoter Dumontier insists the world of F1 will need to make do.

“They need to put water in their wine,” he is quoted by French language RDS television.

“They are fortunate to go on tours where governments have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in facilities.  The essence is the race track and I think that our facilities are adequate,” Dumontier insists.