Today, Michael Schumacher is best known for his incredible Ferrari stint between 1996 and 2006. With the Maranello-based outfit, Schumacher won five World Championships which solidified his status as the greatest F1 driver of all time. However, before joining the prancing horses, it was at Benetton that he truly announced his arrival into the sport.
Schumacher won two World Titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995 respectively but left for Ferrari just a year later. At the time, the last Ferrari driver to win a championship was Jody Scheckter in 1979. It was a move that surprised many people, but Schumacher’s wife Corinna revealed the assurances they got from the Scuderia’s management.
To lure Schumacher over to Italy, Jean Todt and Luca di Montezemolo brought in the likes of Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne to the team. Schumacher thought that these appointments made his chances of competing for the title stronger, so he decided to move over to Maranello after discussing it with his wife.
Also read: “Ferrari always does some strange strategy”: Fernando Alonso once roasted his former team publicly
Corinna Schumacher wishes her husband Michael could talk about Ferrari move
In a recent documentary released on Canal+, Schumacher’s wife Corinna shed light on the former’s move to Ferrari. According to her, Todt was a key figure in helping Ferrari secure her husband’s services back in 1996.
“Michael actually has a very good feeling about who he can rely on,” she said. “I think it was like that at the time. he said he wanted to do something with Jean.
She then went on to talk about how it would be better if Schumacher himself could narrate the story since she wasn’t always there to know what was happening. “It would be so nice if Michael could tell the whole story about that time because I wasn’t always there,” the 53-year-old said.
Also read: “They destroyed me”: Red Bull engineer reveals why he hates Drive to Survive
Jean Todt was always there for the Schumacher family
Todt has always been very close to Michael Schumacher and his family. Corinna revealed that he has always been there to help them since Schumacher moved to Ferrari in 1996. Even if they had any doubts of questions outside of F1, Todt was there.
“Jean was always there when we have questions,” she added. When you know there’s someone by your side who does something for you, without consequences and thinks with you. This is a gift.”
She also revealed that Todt has been one of the very few people who have continued to maintain close ties with Schumacher since his tragic skiing accident in 2013. This is something Corinna and the entire family truly appreciates.
“Being Michael’s friend through good times is great fun, but when things change and suddenly someone can’t do it anymore, you need help, or it’s vacation and something bad happens, you really see who your friends are. And Jean is definitely one of those few people.”
