While Michael Schumacher won five consecutive championships at the start of the millennium, the mental side of going on such a juggernaut is often unseen. Maintaining such a high level of output for five seasons can be taxing for any driver. Precisely why Schumacher’s media and PR consultant Sabine Kehm was asked about how the German used to recover. She revealed he often “unplugged” himself from the rest of the world, which made people hate him a bit.
Schumacher was one of the most hard-working and technically gifted drivers during his time. He would spend hours with his engineers to iron out all the shortcomings and overcome all setbacks. This complete immersion into the sport and toward the team throughout the season used to take a toll.
To recharge himself, Kehm revealed that Schumacher used to completely disconnect from the world over the winter break. However, the seven-time champion disappearing for an extended period caused a lot of inconvenience to the others.
Speaking on the F1: Beyond The Grid Podcast, she revealed, “Of course, he could feel he was extremely tired. As he would do that in most of the years, he would really disappear and completely unplug.”
“When you are a world champion, you have hundreds of requests to come to award-winning galas or whatever appreciation things. And he would always decline to go. A lot of people hated him for that.”
Being the Ferrari man’s PR representative, Kehm would get all the requests for award functions and guest appearances. However, during the winter break, the German would not take time out for such events.
However, in the end, it was his performance on the track that truly mattered. In fact, many credit his winning mentality for bringing the glory days back to Ferrari.
The incredible impact Schumacher had on Ferrari
When Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996, the Italian outfit had last won the drivers’ championship in 1979 and the constructors’ title in 1983. However, his winning mentality changed it all for the team. It took them four years to pick up the team’s first silverware as they beat McLaren in the constructor’s battle by four points in 1999.
Following that, Schumacher finally broke Ferrari’s 21-year-old hiatus of the drivers’ title in 2000, which was the first of their reign till 2004. The Maranello team perhaps wasn’t fully equipped to win titles but it was the German’s drive that pushed them to reach such heights. Now, the modern-day Ferrari will host a champion of similar work ethic, mentality, and passion.
Lewis Hamilton can and perhaps will have the same impact on the Italian outfit that Schumacher did. Hamilton will also have to end the team’s silverware drought with the last title coming in 2008. If Hamilton does manage to win the drivers’ championship with Ferrari, he will not only be breaking Schumacher’s record but he will also make an unbeatable legacy.
