Michael Schumacher's first F1 boss recalls how Bernie Ecclestone dominated team principals - "He was the ringmaster"

During team meetings, Eddie Jordan, Michael Schumacher's first team principal at Jordan, called former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone as the 'ringmaster'.

Ahead of every Grand Prix, team principals have a meeting with the F1 boss relaying the issues they face in the sport and how they could be resolved. The Irishman was the team principal of the Jordan Grand Prix, giving Schumacher his big break in F1, from 1991 to 2005.

On the Formula for Success podcast, Jordan said:

"Those of you who grew up or part of it, the Bernie era, will clearly know that there was only one leader, and that was him. He was the ringmaster and controlled absolutely everything. Whenever someone confronted him he had the great ability of divide and rule so if he thought three people were ganging up on him, he would make sure that he would make it so embarrassing for them that they crawl back into their hatch and be quiet."

He continued:

"That was he, he was the master. He used to call me 'A Robber', and he would say that the robber is about to say something guys. He had absolutely no regard for correctness or anything. It was a joke, but it wasn't really a joke."

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"I think he (Lewis Hamilton) probably is (better than Michael Schumacher)" - F1 pundit

F1 pundit Peter Windsor said that Lewis Hamilton is better than Michael Schumacher as a driver, as he gives softer inputs than the German.

During his Live Stream on YouTube, Windsor said:

"I think he (Lewis Hamilton) probably is (better than Michael Schumacher). I don't want my opinion of Michael to be coloured too much by the Mercedes years, and I like to think of Michael as he was at Benetton and Ferrari."

He continued:

"I think Lewis is slightly softer on inputs everywhere, I think he's just got this very soft touch. I think Michael was slightly rougher, slightly but not much. I think Lewis is slightly softer than Michael.

"Both (have) incredible feel for the car; both of them have this hugely wide palette on which they can paint the picture they need for the car. And neither of them was trapped into thinking that braking late or a high minimum speed was an absolute given; very similar in that respect. I just think Lewis (has a) slightly softer touch, slightly."

It would be fascinating to see more on-track battles between the duo that ensued during their time together in F1 from 2010 to 2012.