Michael Schumacher'stoilet 'mind games' revealed by Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg

Schumacher's toilet 'mind games' revealed by Rosberg

Absolutely ruthless from Schumi!

Matthew Scott

Monday 27 May 2019 10:06

Nico Rosberg has described the extent to which Michael Schumacher would use mind games in an attempt to get the better of their intra-team battle at Mercedes, recounting one example where the seven-time world champion locked him out of the team's toilet just before qualifying in Monaco.

Rosberg made the revelation on his 'Beyond Victory' podcast, where he was interviewing Daniel Ricciardo.

Discussing battles with team-mates past, Rosberg and the Renault man discussed the use of mind games, prompting the 2016 champion to turn to Schumacher.

"I had Michael Schumacher as my team-mate, this guy for three years - Mr Mind Games," Rosberg told Ricciardo. "He doesn't even have to think about it, it just comes natural to him. It's just the way he is.

"That was a big, big learning curve. The warrior mentality that Michael had was phenomenal and living and breathing it every single day. From the morning to the evening he was just trying to get into my head and trying to ruin my self-confidence.

"There's so many examples. One, Monaco qualifying. There's only one toilet in the garage and so he's in the toilet and I go down and it's 10 minutes before. I know that I have my two-minute session now for the last pee then jump in the car and go, qualifying.

"I knock on the door because it's always locked, 'Nico here, please let me in', because usually it's the mechanics who will then know in this moment I have to be the priority. No answer, nothing, so I'm knocking, knocking - no answer but I can hear that someone's in there.

"Here was Michael, in the toilet, leaning against the wall looking at his watch and he knew as long as he made it out with three minutes to go he could just about jump in the car, put the seat belts on and go before losing actual time and ruining the whole team strategy of qualifying.

"He's in there looking at his watch, chilling out, counting down, and I'm outside in full-panic mode because I can't go in qualifying with a full bladder, it absolutely sucks like anything.

"There's no options for me so I went for the oil bucket option in the corner. There was no option. Mechanics working and running around and I'm just there…

"I managed to do what I needed to do but the panic had such an impact with my qualifying. While I'm with my oil bucket, the door opens, Michael walks out and as soon as he leaves from the corner he starts walking faster because he knows it's like two seconds to go until qualifying.

"These games, all day long."