Michael Schumacher’s F1 legacy
Michael Schumacher redefined what it means to be a Formula 1 champion, raising the bar on fitness, focus, commitment, team spirit – and ruthlessness
It was the resigned slump of their shoulders that said it all. The way a driver had to apply himself to racing in Formula 1 had changed forever – and they knew it. The podium at the 1992
Belgian Grand Prix heralded the revolution.
Nigel Mansell, then 39, and his Williams team-mate Riccardo Patrese, 38, looked weary. Standing between them was a sprightly Michael Schumacher who, 15 years their junior, had just taken his first grand prix victory – the new heir to the F1 throne.
There was barely a bead of sweat on the brow of the young German as he leapt from the top step. Schumacher’s Benetton team-mate Martin Brundle immediately recognised his impact. “Michael moved the game forward,” he says.“we had to raise ourselves. We had to get fitter and stronger and we had to look for every hundredth of a second. It was clear he was going to be a star of the future.”
Fast forward just over 14 years and Schumacher had accrued seven world championships, 91 wins and 68 pole positions to become statistically the most successful driver of all time.
He achieved these feats with an approach that current F1 drivers aspire to today. It started with his fitness, taking a mobile gym with him so he could work out after 100 laps of testing, and continued with an all-encompasing approach to his job. He made sure he memorised all his mechanics’ names, and then remembered the names of their wives and children too. It could be considered a cynical attempt to win their favour – but it was a success.
His work ethic became legendary. Despite a gruelling travel schedule and exhausting grand prix weekends, without a moment’s thought he’d be back at Fiorano, testing for hour after hour.
“If we needed him to test I would ring Michael up and say, ‘can you be here tomorrow? ’recalls former Ferrari boss Ross Brawn. “‘Yep, what time? ’would be the reply. Never any hesitation. One or two others I would ring up and it would be,‘ oh, well, I want to see my kids tomorrow, it’s a birthday party’ and all the rest of it. You never had those discussions with Michael, because he knew if you asked it was important.”
The quest to find an advantage over the opposition didn’t stop with fitness, a great team spirit and a relentless work ethic. There was a further, unquenchable competitiveness that pushes great drivers further.
Schumacher created an on-track persona that served to intimidate other drivers, and he wasn’t afraid to go beyond accepted limits – think of Rubens Barrichello getting pushed towards the pitwall at the Hungaroring in 2010.
And what Michael did after his race wins was significant. He had no qualms in reminding his enemies who was better by throwing himself around on the podium, effectively leaping into a rival’s face to claim,‘ i’m fitter than you,
I’m faster than you, I’m better than you.’
“I think some of what Michael did was about undermining the enemy and destroying the confidence of the opposition,” agrees Brawn.“in the early days, Michael would be on the rostrum with two guys wilting, barely able to stand up, and he would be bouncing around and they would be looking at him thinking, ‘God, what on earth is this creature we’re competing with…’”