How Michael Schumacher's anxiety and self doubt created an F1 legend

Michael Schumacher

How Schumacher's anxiety and self doubt created an F1 legend

Jean Todt fascinating on his former star man.

Matthew Scott

Wednesday 24 July 2019 12:05

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Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt has explained how anxiety and self-doubt help fuel the record-breaking career of Michael Schumacher.

As team principal and star driver, Todt and Schumacher dominated F1 for five seasons at the turn of the millennium as the Scuderia took five successive title doubles, making the German the sport's most decorated driver of all time in the process.

Between 2000 – 2004, Schumacher won 46 of the 85 grands prix held, but Todt has revealed that the star man would return at the start of each year wracked with uncertainty.

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So much so that he would order private testing sessions at Ferrari's home track to sharpen his skills before another title assault.

"Michael has always been with his feet on the ground, which probably helped him to be so successful over the years, because Michael always was full of doubt about his capability of winning with a Formula 1 car," Todt said on F1's 'Beyond the Grid' podcast.

Asked if the legendary driver really doubted his own ability, Todt added: "He did! Every year before the season he would ask me to have private session in Fiorano to make sure he was still a good driver. Every year.

"He had always been anxious and it's something we have been sharing; anxiety to be good enough and that was what made him so good, because he was able to put himself into question."

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