Michael Schumacher: Close Friend Describes Emotional Moment He Heard About Incident

Timo Glock offers a unique perspective on Michael Schumacher's legacy, blending professional insight with personal anecdotes.

Former F1 driver and friend of Michael Schumacher's Timo Glock shared his insights on what the seven-time champion's role might have been had he remained active in Formula 1, along with personal anecdotes reflecting their friendship. Glock's candid revelations offer a unique glimpse into the life of the legendary seven-time F1 champion, particularly highlighting their shared moments outside of the racetrack.

Key Takeaways:

• Schumacher's Potential Role Post-Retirement: Timo Glock believes Michael Schumacher would have continued contributing to Formula 1, but not necessarily as a pundit or in front of the cameras. He speculates that Schumacher could have been effective in a role like a team principal later in his retirement, owing to his deep understanding of the sport.
• Fond Memories Playing Chess: Glock shares a fond memory of playing chess with Schumacher during flights, a game Schumacher taught him. He recalls a period around the Singapore GP where he won almost every match against Schumacher, who notoriously hated losing.
• Reaction to Schumacher's Accident: Glock describes the shock he felt upon hearing about Schumacher's tragic skiing accident while with his friend Timo Schneider, expressing disbelief at the severity of the incident.

Timo Glock, a German professional racing driver and a close friend of Michael Schumacher, recently shared some of his personal experiences and opinions about the F1 legend. Glock, who raced in Formula One for Jordan, Toyota, Virgin Racing, and Marussia F1 teams, and finished 10th in the Drivers' Championship in both 2008 and 2009, had the unique opportunity to know Schumacher both on and off the track.

Glock reminisced:

"He would always have been around the F1 paddock but whether he would have been a pundit, I don’t know. He would not have been the F1 expert in front of the cameras.

"Yes, he would have done interviews but I think he would have worked for the sport he lived for. That would have been his position if he had decided to stay in the paddock.

"Maybe not in the first part of his retirement [a team principal], maybe later on. But he would definitely have been a good person in that position because he knows exactly what it needs."

Apart from discussing Schumacher's potential post-retirement roles, Glock shared a lighter, more personal side of their relationship. Their bond extended beyond the race track, with shared interests like cycling and chess. Glock said:

"I spent quite some time with him going cycling and when he came back to Mercedes, and I was driving for Virgin and Murussia, we played a lot of chess!

"I had never played chess in my life and he taught me how to play. We played endless games on flights.

"I really liked it when I got into a position to beat him because he hated losing. At one time I got into a good flow in chess and had this period around the Singapore GP where I won nearly every match. It was quite funny."

Glock also recounted where he was when he heard about Schumacher's skiing accident:

"I was sitting with Timo Schneider, a good friend of mine, in his house where we were spending New Year together. We were playing cards and we heard about it on the news. It was a huge shock.

"You never thought it would be that tragic. With Michael normally you would say he stands up and walks away. But sometimes things can be tragic."

Thank you BettingSites.co.uk for setting up this interview. 

Mercedes Press Image