Damon Hill's sad admission about relationship with Michael Schumacher
Damon Hill has opened up on his relationship with the stricken Formula One legend.
F1 great Damon Hill has revealed his relationship with Michael Schumacher was virtually non-existent before his rival's devastating accident. Schumacher, widely regarded as the greatest driver in F1 history, suffered catastrophic head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013.
The Ferrari legend's condition still remains a mystery 10 years later, with his wife Corrina notoriously private and unwilling to provide updates on his health to fans or the media. As the world continues to hope and pray for a positive outcome for Schumacher, long-time rival Hill has made a devastating revelation about his relationship with the German hero.
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Speaking on Channel 10's coverage of the Australian Grand Prix, Englishman Hill opened up on his fractured relationship with Schumacher and said they barely spoke before the accident. “I didn’t have much to do with Michael, not because of any other reason. I’d retired from racing and he was still racing. And when we were racing we were sort of rivals.
“I don’t think he was really interested in getting any relationship going. It’s a shame. I would have liked to have known him better. But that might not happen now. It’s just really bad what happened to Michael.”
Hill and Schumacher were involved in a fierce tussle for the 1994 world championship, which ended in controversy in Adelaide when the pair collided in the final race of the season. The pair were involved in more battles in 1995, before Hill finally broke through for his maiden world championship in 1996.
Despite their rivalry and frosty relationship, Hill had paid tribute to Schumacher a number of times since his accident. In 2019, Hill drove Schumacher’s 1994 Benetton in an exhibition event celebrating the German's 50th birthday, before revisiting the event in January this year.
“Whatever happened in sport, it’s just sport,” Hill told news.com. “It’s not meaningful in that sense. And what happened to Michael is just shocking and awful.
“It’s obviously just really, really hard for his family and also for himself. That’s a human tragedy and whatever happened on the track is paltry compared to things like that."
Michael Schumacher 'there but not there'
In a new interview with sports betting firm OLBG last month, Schumacher's former team boss Eddie Jordan revealed how son Mick Schumacher reached out to him and provided some new details about his father's health. Jordan handed a then 22-year-old Schumacher his F1 debut at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1991, but has been unable to visit the former driver due to a 'family only' rule imposed by Corrina.
Jordan made the startling revelation that Schumacher is "there but not there" - a key update about his health amid so much mystery. Jordan said of his conversation with Mick Schumacher: "It touched me because I felt so much about Michael, I went out of my way to find him, give him his first chance in Spa, didn't last very long but that love for him still lasts and will always do so while I'm able to draw breaths.
"As far as I'm concerned, I was touched by it. And the reason I was touched by it was because it can't be easy knowing that your father is not able to be part of the family, he's there but he's not there."
Jordan said he was knocked back when he asked if he could pay Schumacher a visit. "I reached out and one stage asked was it appropriate and did I think we should go and visit him," he said.
"The answer was no. No visitations for anyone at that moment except the actual direct family."
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