Clear: “Schumacher admired Hakkinen and Vettel, he was frustrated that he couldn’t compete with Seb”

Schumacher-Hakkinen, what a rivalry The rivalry between Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher ignited the end of the 90s. The Finn with the McLaren had the upper hand in 1998 and gave the encore in 1999 – the accident at Silverstone meant that Ferrari had to bet on Eddie Irvine – Michael Schumacher won the tug-of-war in 2000 and didn’t stop again until 2004. Schumacher and Hakkinen had also challenged each other in Macau in F3, on which occasion there was a controversial contact on the long straight that leads to the braking of the Lisbon. Schumacher had to defend the lead from Hakkinen’s attack and perhaps braked early, surprising the Finn who rear-ended him. Jock Clear, an English coach who worked for a long time with Michael Schumacher, underlined that the German felt a sincere admiration for the Scandinavian driver: “Who admired Michael Schumacher in terms of pure speed? I think Mika Häkkinen was the one he considered really very, very fast”, were the words of Clear reached by Betpack. Schumacher also had a soft spot for compatriot Sebastian Vettel: “I know that in the last few years he had great regard for Sebastian Vettel, and I think he very much valued the relationship and the friendship with Seb,” Clear added. Seb from afar in those years, between 2010 and 2012.” Click here to add Formula Passion as your favorite source on Google Discover: you will find our contents more easily!

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-05-22 18:00:00