“I think I created that name because I was the first one to end up on it” – Throwback to when Michael Schumacher took David Coulthard around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Janmeyjay Shukla
|PublishedMay 24, 2022

"I think I created that name because I was the first one to end up on it" Throwback to when Michael Schumacher took David Coulthard around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a surprise appearance by Sebastian Vettel

Michael Schumacher gives David Coulthard a tour around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve during the 2011 Formula One season.

Michael Schumacher was in his second season with Mercedes AMG after announcing his return to Formula One in December 2009.

There were improvements showcased in the 2011 season. The German scored his first points in the Malaysian Grand Prix and had a better campaign than the previous season.

During the Canadian Grand Prix, he took the former McLaren driver David Coulthard on a ride around the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. It was part of BBC’s pre-race show.

Michael Schumacher takes co-pilot David Coulthard on a ride

Schumacher and Coulthard met on the pitlane to discuss Nico Rosberg’s werewolf look on the hoarding. The German drives the fastest car in the world and chose a golf kart-like vehicle to drive around the circuit.

David Coulthard joked that the vehicle is too slow and he could run faster than it. However, as he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt along with not training for years, he sat back in the car to be Schumacher’s co-pilot.

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During their tour, they came across Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull crew taking a long walk of the circuit. Schumacher is a sarcastic guy and had a little joke with his fellow German.

Red Bull was the fastest car on the grid while Mercedes was in midfield. Schumacher cracked a joke in front of the Red Bull crew to Vettel about overtaking them. He said: “At least I can overtake you [Vettel] once this weekend.” While Vettel replied: “Let’s keep it that way.”

Michael Schumacher explains about the wall of champions chicane

David Coulthard wanted to get an insight into what was happening between the German drivers. Vettel explained the joke to him. The Scottish driver was humiliated by Vettel as he tried to speak some words in German.

Vettel said: “You sound better than the girls speaking German.” Coulthard replied that he learned the German language after watching DVDs when he was a kid.

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Going to the final turn of the circuit, the former McLaren driver asked Schumacher about the wall of champions. The seven-time world champion replied: “I think I created that name because I was the first one to end up on it.”

Schumacher had a wonderful race after that as he finished fourth just outside the podium after qualifying seventh on the grid.

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About the author

Janmeyjay Shukla

Janmeyjay Shukla is an artist who contributes his expressions through words as an F1 writer and editor at The SportsRush. He is an F1 historian who has been watching the sport since he was a baby. Passed on from generation to generation, he has seen the prime of Michael Schumacher to the rise of Max Verstappen. A Mercedes fan from the days of the Brawn GP era, the sport runs in his blood. Besides Formula One, Janmeyjay is a Marketing Head and a musician who loves to sing and play Rock & Pop songs on guitar. His love for sports will never die as he is a loyal Liverpool Football Club fan as well!