Every champion in the world of F1 shares one trait: ruthlessness. Many believe Michael Schumacher was the most ruthless among the rest. He was an intimidating figure for his teammates and especially for his rivals. However, thanks to the book Michael Schumacher: The Edge of Greatness and many personal accounts, we have come to know a completely different side to the German.

The seven-time world champion was famous for his cutthroat nature. However, the personal accounts in the book told us there was a side of Schumacher that only his loved and close ones saw. This side not only made him a gentle giant but also extremely relatable. Let us reveal to you this side of him in the words of Jean Todt.

Todt was the boss at Ferrari during Schumacher’s dominant championship-winning campaigns with the Italian outfit. He knew him very closely, and the two shared an amicable bond. So when Jean Todt says something about Schumacher, we listen and believe. In this latest addition to many such revelations, he shared how the German was in need of comfort.

“Michael is a very shy person who is always surprised by the enthusiasm he generates in people. He needs to feel comforted by those around him. Like anybody, he doubts. I find him fascinating. He can show an incredible maturity one minute and then ten minutes later behave like a child,” read a comment from Todt on Schumacher’s characteristics in Michael Schumacher: The Edge of Greatness.

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This side of Schumacher was alien to his teammates, as some of them criticized some of his behavior and labeled it heartless. However, that was all by choice because we have more such accounts like the one from Todt, which prove Schumacher was a gentle soul and pure at heart.

Michael Schumacher loved making people around him feel special

An extract from the same book revealed how the German was extremely friendly with all the staff at Ferrari. He would take an interest in their personal lives and give thoughtful gifts. This extra-mile approach was always hidden from the cameras and the media because he never wanted to share this side of himself with the world.

The extract read, “He loves to give presents, loves to make people happy. He cares about people’s birthdays and Christmas, everyone gets a present. It’s a big job. He would think hard about presents for people, he asked me about it a lot. He would be having a massage in his room after driving, and I would be sitting there with a notepad writing down a huge list.”

“He sends flowers to the women in the factory for their birthdays even though he doesn’t know them. He wants them to know that they are appreciated. In the end, he wants the people around him to be happy because then he can be happy too.”

Many of his rivals would probably rub their eyes in disbelief if and when they read such stories about Michael Schumacher. However, this ruthless portrayal of himself to strike fear into the hearts of his rivals was the plan, and it worked perfectly. We are just glad there are some who can reveal this side of him.

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