"Michael Schumacher made me feel like I was useless and untalented" - When Damon Hill opened up about his rivalry with the F1 legend

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill once said that his former rival Michael Schumacher made him feel "useless" and "untalented" due to the latter's psychological games during their rivalry. The seven-time F1 world champion is arguably regarded as the greatest driver in the sport's history due to his multiple records which still stand to this day. He won his first world championship in November 1994 at the Australian GP.

The German driver went to several lengths to gain an advantage over his rivals on the track, including playing mind games before heading into the cars. Several world champions like Damon Hill and Nico Rosberg have spoken about their experiences competing with the F1 legend on track.

In his interview with Bild on the 30th anniversary of Michael Schumacher's controversial triumph over Damon Hill to win his first world title, the Brit reflected:

"Michael and I actually got on well, but on the track we hated each other. It was and is not possible to be any other way if you want to become Formula 1 world champion. There was no room for niceties.

"You have to exploit every weakness of your opponent and wear him down with it. Michael was a master of psychological games. He made me feel like I was useless and untalented. And he told that to the press. Because he won a lot of races back then, there was no reason not to believe him."

Michael Schumacher went on to win seven driver's championships in his illustrious career, a feat matched by Lewis Hamilton in 2020.

---

Former F1 driver points out key difference between Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher said his brother Michael Schumacher's ability to work with engineers and drive the team forward distinguished him from his fellow seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

The ten-time race winner said (via Sport.de),

'The biggest difference is that Michael was able to work with the engineers to develop the car so that it suited his driving style perfectly. Lewis cannot do that. He has never been able to do that, if you listen very carefully to what Mercedes' engineers say.

"Toto Wolff has stressed several times that a driver has to push the throttle and the engineers have to develop the car. However, he also says this because his drivers are apparently unable to give the right input. Michael was completely different. He gave direction to his confidants like Ross Brawn and Jean Todt."

Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher will soon have one major aspect in common as Hamilton joins Ferrari in 2025. The Brit replaced the German legend at Mercedes in 2013 after the latter retired from F1, leading them to unparalleled success, which even surpassed Schumacher's time with the Italian team.