"Ruthless, very tough emotionally, there was no camaraderie, no empathy": When Michael Schumacher's rival described how it was racing against him

Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion, had a heated championship battle with Damon Hill in 1994. Recalling the rivalry, Hill opened up on the German driver's ruthlessness and fierce competitive spirit in an interview in 2021.

Schumacher scripted history by becoming the driver with the most titles (seven) in F1 before Lewis Hamilton equaled his record in 2020. The German driver won five back-to-back championships with Ferrari in the mid-2000s. However, he was crowned a world champion first in 1994 with Benetton.

His first world championship was special yet controversial. Benetton was nowhere close to challenging Williams as his title battle with Damon Hill was dragged to the season finale in Australia. When Hill tried to pass Schumacher, a collision forced both the cars to retire, and the latter lifted the title with a single-point lead.

However, apart from the 1994 incident, Damon Hill recalled another controversial incident in the 1995 Silverstone Grand Prix. Reflecting on Michael Schumacher's ruthless approach, Hill told motorsportmagazine in 2021:

"He was ruthless, very tough emotionally; there was no camaraderie, no empathy with competitors. He gave nothing away. That’s not a criticism; that’s how he was—100% effective as a competitor. He was good with his words too, sticking the knife in."

In Silverstone, the two drivers had a similar crash to the 1994 Australian Grand Prix. Both ran into each other and ended up in the gravel, marking an unfortunate end to the race. Later in Monza, Schumacher and Hill were at spar again. Regardless of the intense rivalry, the German driver won nine of the 17 races to clinch his second consecutive championship.

In 1996, he moved to Scuderia Ferrari, and in the span of a decade, he won five titles to unleash never-seen-before dominance in the sport. Till today, the 56-year-old is remembered as one of the greatest racing drivers to have graced the sport of F1.

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Ross Brawn underlines key difference between Michael Schumacher & Lewis Hamilton

Michael Schumacher with Lewis Hamilton [Image Source: Getty]

Former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, who played a key role in Michael Schumacher's five championships of glory, suggested a key difference that sets the German driver apart from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. Talking to Auto Hebdo, he said:

“I have worked with Lewis, who is another incredibly fast and talented driver, but with a different approach. He has the notoriety that is sought, the type of lifestyle that is led, taking the fast track, the opposite of the tranquillity that Michael sought. There was the same commitment, talent, and desire within him (Michael Schumacher); just the approach was different."

Michael Schumacher lived a low-key life and reportedly also rejected an opportunity to become Ferrari's team principal to spend time with his family. To respect his right to privacy, his family has kept him away from the public eye since the 2013 skiing accident.