Schumi: I'm Human - And Didn't Want Irv To Win.

Michael Schumacher has spoken out in an attempt to correct people's view of him, and admitted that he didn't really want former Ferrari team-mate Eddie Irvine to win last year's world championship crown.


The German told French sports newspaper L'Equipe that he didn't want his rivals and people outside the sport to view him as some sort of machine, even if his demeanour at races portrayed him a such.


"I would like people to realise that I'm as human as the rest of the world," he said, "I would not like them to have the image of a cold German who does anything to win. Despite everything that has happened, I don't think that is who I am.


"Nobody knows who the real Michael Schumacher, and this applies even to the other drivers."


Such are the German's emotions, and the closeness of his bond with employer Ferrari, that he can now admit that he didn't really want team-mate Irvine to win the title in his absence last season, despite taking on Schumacher's mantle after the German crashed out of the British GP.


"If it had gone his way, it would not have been very satisfactory on a sporting level, because [Mika] Hakkinen is a better driver," Schumacher insisted, "For Ferrari, on the other hand, it would have been great."


The double world champion has set his sights on being the man to lift Ferrari's first crown since Jody Scheckter in 1979, and for this reason alone an Irvine triumph would have been a disaster. Similarly, it is why he has not been tempted to move to McLaren in search of glory.


"To become world champion with Ferrari ..... would be like a Disney tale, like a fairy tale," he smiled, "That's why [Juan Manuel] Fangio's five titles, or [Alain] Prost's fifty GP wins, are nice challenges, but secondary to me.


"When I was younger, I needed to change girlfriends and fall in love again to keep my motivation. Then, I met [wife] Corinna and settled down. It's the same with Ferrari - I wanted to be a part of the team, and now we are happy together.


"This year I start the season with a good feeling because, for the first time with Ferrari, I have a car which is capable of winning from the first race. This time I really believe I have the car to win the championship."