Luca di Montezemolo remembers Michael Schumacher

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo Michael Schumacher recalled…

Question: Luca, how did you learn about the incident in the French Alps?
Luca di Montezemolo: I was at my office in Maranello and our press attaché Stefano Lai told me the news. We did not immediately understand what had happened. We thought he broke his leg or something. But after a few minutes, additional information emerged and we became very concerned.

The less I say about it, the better. It was a terrible day. Michael no longer played on our team, but we still had an excellent relationship. I remember little Mick and Gina visiting my house in Bologna. They often visited me, especially in the summer. Michael was a very attentive and caring father.

Q: When was the last time you spoke to him?
Luca di Montezemolo: One week before the accident, by telephone. We were talking about holidays, he told me that Gina had become very good at horse riding.

Question: Is it true that he couldn’t ski?
Luca di Montezemolo: During the Ferrari days, his contract prohibited him from skiing. The only exception was the week-long event at Madonna di Campiglio, which we organized every year. He loved skiing, but especially loved being with his children. Of course he was not an experienced skier.

Q: Today we know next to nothing about him…
Luca di Montezemolo: I agree with what Jean Todt said some time ago. Michael is home, but this is a different Michael. I respect the decision of his wife, who has not commented on his condition all these years. I prefer to remember him that way, when he was still in top form.

Question: After two years in Formula 1 at Haas, his son Mick has to settle for the role of reserve driver for Mercedes…
Luca di Montezemolo: I was disappointed when Ferrari didn’t take him as their third driver. This would be ideal. He is a very serious man, great, just like his sister.

Question: Why did you decide to invite Michael to Ferrari?
Luca di Montezemolo: I returned to Ferrari to rebuild the team. It was necessary to hire good people, plan a winning cycle and create a good atmosphere. I hired Todt, who had spent his entire career at Peugeot. Then came Brown, Byrne, Martinelli and Domenicali.

All that remained was to find a driver who could change the situation. After Enzo Ferrari’s lesson – never expose yourself personally – I asked Niki Lauda to speak to Willi Weber, Schumi’s manager. He made the first contacts and then transferred the case to Todt. And only then did Michael come to me.

This German man was not 100% committed to the Ferrari myth. But he realized its importance when he led the German Grand Prix the year before. With two laps to go his engine broke down and Berger won in a red car. He admitted he was impressed: “I, a German, stop due to a breakdown at my home circuit and see that the whole of Hockenheim is full of Ferrari flags welcoming the Austrian.

Q: Which of Michael’s performances for Ferrari do you remember most?
Luca di Montezemolo: I’ll start with the first success in Barcelona, ​​June 2, 1996. He won in the pouring rain and I knew we had finally done the job: the team, the atmosphere and a great rider. After this victory we had two bad moments: in Magny-Cours, where the car stopped during the warm-up lap, and in Canada, where we lost the drive shaft during the pit stop. Many journalists, as well as Fiat employees in Turin, began to doubt the German. I defended Schumi and Todt and everything turned out well for me because then we won in Spa and especially in Monza.

Winning the title at Suzuka in 2000 allowed us to bring the cup back to Maranello, 21 years after Jody Scheckter’s victory. I watched the race at home in Bologna and then went to Maranello. It was 7:30 am and I couldn’t get to the base because of the crowds of fans filling the streets. At the next Grand Prix, the last of the season, I went to Malaysia where we won the Constructors’ Championship. At the end of the race, Todt, Schumi, Barrichello and I took the famous photo with red wigs. From that evening on, despite the fact that Michael was an avid supporter of a healthy lifestyle, he began to smoke a cigar after every victory to relax.

Q: In August 2009, after Felipe Massa’s accident, you tried to bring him back to Ferrari…
Luca di Montezemolo: This is true. He immediately said he didn’t feel like it. We talked for an hour. Finally, I don’t know how, I convinced him. He said: “I have received so much from Ferrari that I cannot refuse now that you need my help.” His eyes shone with happiness.

The next day in Mugello he showed a good time, but when he attacked the curb he felt a slight pain in his neck, in a vertebra damaged in a motorcycle accident. That same evening he traveled to Austria to be examined by his doctor. It turned out that a small fracture had not healed, and the doctor banned him from racing for at least another two months.

I remember his phone call: he was devastated, it was like talking to a child who was given candy and then took it away. We replaced Massa with Fisichella and Michael came to our pits as an advisor.

In Abu Dhabi, Ross Brawn, who worked for Mercedes, invited him to his team. Shumi was full of adrenaline, two months had passed, he wanted to return to the job at all costs and accepted the offer to retire with them.

Question: At Ferrari you were lucky enough to work with two great drivers, Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher…
Luca di Montezemolo: These were two racers with whom I had very close human relationships. Nicky was one of the best friends in my life. They had two things in common: a great team spirit, we all won or lost together. And obsessive attention to detail.

Compared to Lauda, ​​Schumi was exceptional in the race. He could do 70 GP laps as if they were 70 qualifying laps. And he was the first to pay close attention to physical training.