Formula 1

Barrichello : Schumacher was a bit naive

Published

3 years ago

01/01/2020

f1_lead_2020_formula_1_grand_prix_GP_BARRICHELLO SCHUMACHER WAS A BIT NAIVE

Rubens Barrichello, who was Michael Schumacher’s teammate at Ferrari for six years, has shared some insights into his relationship with the legendary seven-time world champion. During their time at Ferrari, Schumacher and Barrichello were teammates, with the latter often playing a subordinate role to the former.

Although Barrichello acknowledged the hierarchy at Ferrari, with Schumacher winning five of his seven world titles with the team, he revealed that Schumacher didn’t offer much assistance to him, despite their good rapport as teammates.

On the Beyond the Grid podcast, Barrichello talked about his relationship with Schumacher, saying, “I have always been on good terms with my teammates, including Michael, but he was never supportive.

That’s not the right word. He was never there to offer help, so I never asked him for any. There are other teammates you can ask for help, like Eddie Irvine. I once asked him which gear to take in a certain corner, and he didn’t know, because he did it instinctively.”

Barrichello expressed his frustration at this lack of support, saying, “I was annoyed one day because I couldn’t understand how he didn’t know what gear to take in that corner. He just did it naturally, without thinking. With Michael, it was different.

He had his own way of doing things, and he was a bit naive in that sense. I often had to grab my chair because the meeting had already ended, and then they would start another meeting with just Michael there. I found it amusing, so I would stay and sit there, say nothing, and just observe.”

Following the life-changing head injuries Michael Schumacher sustained from a skiing accident in 2013, updates on his condition have been scarce, and he has not made any public appearances.

Nonetheless, his impact on the sport remains, and his former teammate Barrichello has revealed what made Schumacher such an excellent driver.

Barrichello praised Schumacher’s bravery, especially at high speeds, adding that he was taking more speed out of low-speed corners than Schumacher.

He also explained how the two of them pushed each other to another level, making it hard to do so with Schumacher, and credited Schumacher with making him better on high-speed tracks.

Barrichello revealed that he had to develop a strong mental approach to keep pace with Schumacher, given the challenges of racing with a B-option strategy and still being in a position to win.

He credited Schumacher’s influence and their intense rivalry with helping him to improve and rise to the challenges of high-speed racing.

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