Damon Hill has admitted that Michael Schumacher once left him feeling “useless” on the Formula 1 grid.
Damon Hill has admitted that Michael Schumacher once left him feeling “useless” on the Formula 1 grid.
Wednesday marked 30 years since Schumacher clinched his first of seven world championships, following a notorious clash with Hill in Adelaide in 1994. Schumacher’s victory came with controversy, as he made contact with Hill to secure his title.
On the anniversary, the major German publication Bild interviewed Hill, who became world champion himself in 1996, about the famous title battle and his rivalry with Schumacher.
“Michael and I actually got on well,” the 64-year-old explained, “but on the track we hated each other. It was and is not possible to be any other way if you want to become world champion. There was no room for niceties. You have to exploit every weakness of your opponent and wear him down with it.”
Hill acknowledged that Schumacher, tragically unseen in public since a serious skiing accident in 2013, was a master at playing psychological games.
“Michael was a master of psychological games,” Hill said. “He made me feel like I was useless and untalented. And he told the press that too.”
Hill added, “Because he won a lot of races back then, there was no reason not to believe him.”
Reflecting on Schumacher as a person and family man, Hill noted the difference between Schumacher’s fierce competitiveness on the track and his warmth off it. “Michael was a very competitive but a very warm person,” he shared.
