Friday, Dec 09, 2016

Abu Dhabi: In the void of information about the current predicament of the stricken, seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, only memories remain.

But sadly, most recollections of the German great have faded into the past following his tragic accident three years ago, which left him in an induced coma for six months.

However, for Johnny Herbert, the stint he spent as Schumacher’s teammate is seared in his mind — and he is happy to reminisce about it at length.

The 52-year-old Englishman was at Benetton in 1994 and 1995, when a “very selfish” Schumacher claimed two of his record seven world titles.

And while fiendishly frustrated about having to play second fiddle continually to his omnipotent rival, Herbert remains awestruck by Schumacher’s unswerving and single-minded pursuit of glory.

“Michael was very driven,” he told Gulf News ahead of the third anniversary of Schumacher’s skiing accident in the French Alps on December 29, 2013, which has reportedly left him paralysed and in a wheelchair. “He knew what he wanted and how he needed to get it, which was Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Flavio Briatore.”

Herbert explained that it was this trio who were intrinsic to Schumacher’s success at Benetton and then Ferrari, where he won five world crowns.

Brawn was Schumacher’s engineer and technical director at Benetton and Ferrari; Byrne the chief car designer at both teams; and Briatore the Benetton boss, who lured Schumacher from his first F1 team, Jordan, in 1991.

“He didn’t take Flavio to Ferrari, but he took Ross and Rory and they had utter belief in him and that’s why he achieved what he did at Benetton and Ferrari,” added Herbert, who attended last month’s Formula One Etihad Airways Grand Prix as a pundit for Sky Sports Television.

“He would do anything he possibly could to achieve that and if that meant taking energy away from his co-driver, that’s what he would do. That’s what he did with the Benetton times and also with the Ferrari times as well. With Rubens [Schumacher’s former Ferrari team-mate, Barrichello] leading and then him being told, because they had a contract, that he had to let him pass to win the race.

“That’s how he was able to win the amount of championships he did.”

Herbert finished fourth in the 1995 drivers’ championship with 45 points, 57 behind the overwhelmingly dominant Schumacher.

“My only bugbear when I was with him at Benetton was I knew his mentality but it was down to someone in the team to say: ‘No, Michael, this is a team and we’re together and we have to do the same things on each car’,” added Herbert, who won three grands prix between 1989 and 2000.

“He didn’t really want to help in that front. When Michael asked for something, he’d say ‘yes’ and on the other side it wouldn’t even be spoken about, so it was difficult. But I understood it would be difficult when I went there because I obviously knew about his raw speed.

“I also knew the relationship he had with Flavio, with Ross, with Rory, was very, very strong and I was coming into that.

“I look back now and I think with a little bit more help from Flavio, I could have competed better. I don’t think I would ever have beaten him.”

Herbert said “Flavio was the difficulty”, given his preferential treatment for one driver, as was the case when the Brazilian fired Jenson Button from Renault in 2003 and replaced him with Fernando Alonso.

Back to Schumacher. Did he ever socialise with him?

“Not much. Early on, there were a couple of dinners. Michael was very protective and didn’t allow anyone to get to close in case they tried to work out how he works.

“My wife and his wife, Corinna, they used to sit down together. Then we got to [the San Marino Grand Prix, she [Corinna] walked in and said ‘hi’ and then they basically never sat down together for the rest of that season. I think that was because of Michael not wanting that relationship in case there was some information that could be relayed from my wife.

“But again, that’s part of what Michael was all about. I think the thing with him was the dedication he put into it, the amount of energy and time he thrust on the team and expected them to repay him because of how he was able to give them the belief that he would be able to do it on the track. And that’s what he got. They thought, Ross especially and Rory, that he was the best driver that we’ve ever seen.

“Because of that, they would move heaven and Earth to do it. But they were nice memories too, watching and seeing how he went about it.”

Despite his ruthlessness and aloofness, Schumacher had a lighter side, Herbert said.

“He had a very good, British sense of humour, which you could always see within the debriefs that we had and a little bit outside with the mechanics. There was always banter going on.”

Does he have any updates on Schumacher’s condition?

“All you’ll hear are there are good days and bad days. I don’t know when those days are. I know no more than anybody else.”

FAST FACTS - MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

GP starts: 306

Career began: 1991

Career ended: 2012

Victories: 91

Podiums: 155

Fastest laps: 77

Total points: 1,566

By Euan Reedie Chief Sports Writer Abu Dhabi

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