Schumacher Made Hill Feel ‘Useless And Untalented’

Damon Hill says the great Michael Schumacher convinced him he was “useless”.

Wednesday was the 30th anniversary of Schumacher’s first of a record seven world championships, achieved when he deliberately crashed into Hill in Adelaide in 1994.

On the anniversary, the major German newspaper Bild asked Hill, the 1996 world champion, to recall their infamous title clash and their relationship.

“Michael and I actually got on well,” the 64-year-old said, “but on the track we hated each other. It was and is not possible to be any other way if you want to become world champion.

“There was no room for niceties. You have to exploit every weakness of your opponent and wear him down with it.”

And Hill admits that Schumacher, who sadly has not been seen publicly since sustaining brain injuries in a 2013 skiing fall, was the master of psychology warfare.

“Michael was a master of psychological games,” said the Briton. “He made me feel like I was useless and untalented. And he told the press that too.

“Because he won a lot of races back then, there was no reason not to believe him.”

However, Hill admits that Schumacher was a very different person away from the track – especially with his own family.

“Michael was a very competitive but a very warm person.”