Gina Schumacher, Michael Schumacher‘s daughter has a storied legacy in Formula 1. Her “pink hairbrush” has become imbibed in F1 folklore for years to come. It all transpired during the 2000 season where Schumacher won in front of his home crowd at Nürburgring with Gina’s gift in the cockpit. However, in the very next race, victory was snatched from his clutches as he did not possess the now iconic hairbrush.
The reason why Schumacher had to resort to carrying his daughter’s hairbrush into the cockpit is quite a wholesome. According to Schumacher, as he was not able to take Gina along for his races in the car, he chose to take a gift from her instead.
Back in 2000, when he won the first of his five-consecutive world titles with Ferrari, Schumacher said (as quoted by Bild),
“She wanted me to take her in the car. But there is no space. When I lie down again half an hour before the race, I have her very close to me.”
During the 2000 European GP held at Nürburgring , Schumacher took the chequered flag first in front of 142,000 home fans cheering him on.
What was so special about this? Well, that was the race where Schumacher carried Gina’s hairbrush with himself in the cockpit. However, in the very next race in Monaco, he had to retire on lap 55 due to mechanical issues. Safe to say that luck wasn’t on the side of the seven-time world champion.
But who knows? Maybe if Gina’s hairbrush was in the cockpit, Schumacher could have had back to back victories.
Gina and Michael Schumacher shared a strong father-daughter bond
Schumacher’s relationship with his daughter was something truly special. When asked about what it meant for him to have Gina in his life, Schumacher proudly proclaimed,
“On my happiness scale, a win is worth three points and a day with Gina is worth 20 points. This little creature has made a different person out of me.”
While her father made the waves in F1, Gina herself is an avid equestrian. Back in 2019, the now 26-year-old paid an emotional tribute to her father during a competition held in Italy. She dressed up as her father in a Ferrari suit, with her horse wearing a Ferrari-themed blanket denoting one of the their iconic race cars.
Gina’s love for horses actually developed through her time spent with her father. Despite being born into a motorsport household, young Gina quickly discovered that she liked horses more. This was even after she tried karting with her father for an entire season. What helps Gina’s cause is that the Schumacher family owns a farm in Switzerland, US and Spain.
Gina is very close to her father, but she, like the rest of her family, keeps Schumacher’s health condition as private as possible. Fans, however, still get vague updates from Jean Todt, the Ferrari ace’s former boss who is in constant touch with the family.
