Michael Schumacher has denied that the existence of a break clause in his contract means he might not return for the third year of his F1 comeback in 2012.
Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn triggered the speculation two weeks ago when he revealed at Valencia that German Schumacher, 42, has the power to return to retirement at the end of the season.
"I’ve always had the option to stop at any moment I wanted," the seven time world champion told reporters at Silverstone.
"I’m here for a fixed target, a three-year programme, and that is what it is."
Schumacher acknowledged that his return to formula one has not always been smooth and that there is room for improvement.
"But I aim for an achievement and a fixed time. In all my first 16 years of F1 I always felt that I constantly developed, maybe in smaller rates than you do initially. And so I do now," he added.