Michael Schumacher didn’t want to fly from Norway for FIA prize giving because he didn’t want to spend too much money on jet fuel.
After every season, FIA hosts a ceremony to give away the motorsport awards. In which, every prominent member of F1 and several other motorsports are needed to attend.
Lewis Hamilton didn’t attend the last year’s ceremony and was fined €50,000. So, this is something, the governing body takes seriously. Thus, they would not want any of the affiliated members to take it lightly.
Even Michael Schumacher was once about to pay such a heavy fine, as he was not keen on attending the ceremony. Bob Constanduros revealed that Schumacher was not willing to travel from Norway to Paris for the ceremony as he was seeing the jet fuel cost as a heavy expense.
In response, the then FIA President of FIA replied to the representative of Schumacher that the fine for not attending the ceremony would be costlier. This is where the seven-time world champion would have had the moment of reconsidering.
Anyone remember the story that Willi Weber contacted Max Mosley saying Michael Schumacher didn’t want to come to FIA prize-giving because he was in Norway and it would be very expensive on jet fuel. Mosley replied that the subsequent fine would be much more than the cost of fuel
— Bob Constanduros (@BobConstanduros) December 22, 2021
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Michael Schumacher tribute in the same event years later
Former FIA president Jean Todt in his final prize-giving ceremony as the chief of the institution said he missed Schumacher. The two were a successful partnership in Ferrari during the early 2000s, where the Prancing horses won straight five championships.
That Ferrari side is still considered one of the best to ever dominate F1. However, a decade later, Schumacher had a horrible accident while skiing, which gave him a serious brain injury.
The former race driver since then hasn’t appeared in the public eye. But Todt still being a close friend to the family gets to see him. And the former F1 team boss gives some acceptable updates to the media about him.
Nevertheless, Schumacher was an iconic figure in F1, his presence is heavily missed. His son Mick Schumacher is currently carrying forward his legacy in F1. The 23-year-old is in his sophomore year in the sport.
Also read: When Michael Schumacher pranked Nico Rosberg in washroom
