“Michael Schumacher a master of psychological games, he made me feel useless”
“There was no room for niceties. You have to exploit every weakness"
Damon Hill has opened up on his complex relationship with Michael Schumacher.
Thirty years ago, Schumacher won his first Formula 1 championship as a Benetton driver.
Notoriously in Australia in 1994, Schumacher and title rival Hill both crashed into each other, and were forced to retire. With both drivers point-less, Schumacher secured the title.
But the future German legend was blamed for the incident by many inside F1, and it now remembered as a footnote of his infamously aggressive driving style.
"Michael and I actually got along well, but on the track we hated each other,” Hill told Bild.
“It was and is not possible otherwise if you want to become Formula 1 world champion.
“There was no room for niceties. You have to exploit every weakness of the opponent and wear him down.
"Michael was a master of psychological games. He made me feel useless and untalented.
“And he also told the press. Because he won a lot of races back then, there was no reason not to believe him.”
Hill added about his old rival: "Michael was a very competitive, but a very warm person."
Schumacher went on to claim a record seven F1 championships after an iconic stint at Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton has since matched that tally and will join Ferrari in 2025, where he dreams of eclipsing Schumacher to take the all-time record.
Hill won the F1 championship in 1996, two years after his memorable skirmish with Schumacher in Australia.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
