Michael Schumacher revealed this week that his decision to retire developed during the 2005 season, when Ferrari struggled to be competitive.
“I started to realise that I no longer wanted to be under this constant pressure, I could feel that I didn’t want to fight anymore,” the 37-year-old told the German broadcaster ‘RTL’ in a television special.
Schumacher drove his last grand prix in a nearly sixteen-season career in October, having collected a record seven world championships and 91 wins.
He said: “I always knew that I would retire one day.
“I said for a long time that I would stop when someone is clearly better than me. Fortunately this day for me never came.”
Willi Weber, meanwhile, said he always suspected that his personal financial investment in Schumacher’s early career would pay off.
Schumacher’s manager earned the paddock nickname ‘Mr Twenty Per Cent’ by enjoying a healthy stake in Schumacher’s annual earnings.
“I recognised quite early that Michael was an exceptional talent,” said Weber. “The feeling in my belly said to me: ‘Don’t worry, you will get your money back some day’.”
GMMF1
DailyF1News.com
