Michael Schumacher’s telling behind-the-scenes behaviour emerges from close ally
Michael Schumacher won seven F1 world titles before suffering life-changing injuries in 2013
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Michael Schumacher won seven F1 world titles during his career(Image: Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Michael Schumacher’s success in Formula 1 has been attributed to his ability to foster a team mentality, both on and off the track. The 56-year-old won a record seven world titles during his legendary career, a tally that Lewis Hamilton has since equequalledaled.
The German driver won the first two of his championships at Benetton in 1994 and 1995. After defending his title, Schumacher moved to Ferrari, where he went on to win five consecutive world titles from 2000 until 2004.
Remarkably, the F1 icon won all seven championships under the guidance of Ross Brawn. The British engineer was Benetton’s technical director during Schumacher’s title wins and the pair later reunited at Ferrari. Former Top Gear producer Andy Wilman has recalled how Brawn explained Schumacher’s role in creating a winning team.
“When [Schumacher] goes to Ferrari, the magnitude of that job,” Wilman said on the High Performance Podcast. “Every Ferrari driver who goes there moans if it’s not right. Did we ever hear him moan? He goes there, the car’s a dog in ‘96 and he knows he’s in for a four or five-year plan to bring them back to glory.
“I remember Ross Brawn saying, ‘Lunchtime, he’s playing football with the mechanics. He likes a game of football but he knows this is all part of it. The big superstar driver is with the mechanics, he is with them all the time. You do stuff together. He’d go round the factory, shakes hands with people sweeping the floor, everybody at Christmas.’
“People don’t see this. They just see the villain on the track, they don’t see what he’s doing in that factory.”
Brawn also worked with Schumacher during his three-year comeback at Mercedes at the end of his F1 career. The 71-year-old has remained part of the driver’s inner circle since his life-changing skiing accident in December 2013.
The Schumacher family have strived to keep his health private, with Michael being kept out of the spotlight. Meanwhile, Brawn is still passionate about Schumacher’s success on the F1 grid.
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Ross Brawn worked with Schumacher across three F1 teams(Image: Christian Fischer/Bongarts/Getty Images)
“You need talent and his was enormous,” Brawn told Auto Hebdo in August. “The history of Formula 1 is full of drivers with a lot of talent, but who don’t know how to put it into practice, and Michael knew that.
“There is no doubt that he had an exceptional physical condition, an enormous power of concentration and unparalleled commitment. He had all the necessary attributes and the intelligence to burn stages.”
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Schumacher is arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time(Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images)
He added: “Helping him to each of his seven F1 world championship titles was something exceptional for me. There is no one above Michael.
“Michael’s ability to blend talent with hard work and intelligence made him extraordinary. His dedication was unmatched, and he had an almost unique ability to take his skills and elevate them to the highest level.”
