'Michael Schumacher ignored me for five years – until we got drunk in a nightclub'

Martin Brundle partnered Michael Schumacher connected the grid successful 1992 but revealed the iconic German refused to talk to him for 5 years aft a falling out

Martin Brundle was ignored by Michael Schumacher for 5 years aft a misunderstanding.

Brundle, 65, swapped the steering instrumentality for the microphone with ITV successful 1997 and has ne'er looked back. Nearly 3 decades and aggregate awards later, Brundle is a cardinal portion of Sky Sports’ F1 coverage, wherever helium is famed for his notorious grid walks.

Before each of that, Brundle was an F1 operator himself successful a vocation that spanned from 1984 until 1996. During that time, the Brit partnered 1 of the sport's all-time greats – Michael Schumacher – successful their 1 play unneurotic astatine Benetton successful 1992.

The seasoned prima has present spoken astir his narration with the German icon, including a falling retired betwixt the 2 erstwhile team-mates, arsenic helium touched connected the intricacies and nuances of making the power from driving to punditry.

Asked astir his narration with Schumacher connected Sky Sports’ F1 podcast, Brundle admitted: “Weirdly, we fell retired due to the fact that thing I said was translated, taken retired of context, and translated into German and enactment successful a header successful a newspaper, and Micheal got precise upset. I person nary thought what it was to this day.

“We didn’t talk – helium wouldn't talk to maine for 5 years; it was truly odd. Then, we got drunk unneurotic successful a nightclub successful Valencia erstwhile helium was connected his sabbatical betwixt Mercedes and Ferrari, and we were good aft that!

“He was benignant of hanging disconnected my shoulders like, ‘My team-mate, my team-mate’ – and it benignant of broke the crystal again. I truly don’t cognize what the occupation was, but that was a existent shame.”

With much and much drivers taking up roles wrong the media successful the twilight of their careers, the chances of being forced to critique a erstwhile team-mate grow. Yet Brundle remains supportive of those who seamlessly marque the leap.

“I find it absorbing to spot Nico [Rosberg], DC [ David Coulthard], and Mark Webber coming retired of the paddock,” helium added. “They are usually coming to the different broadside of the way - a spot dingy the TV compounds, bare java cups everyplace - and I deliberation however they are the going to header with that?

“Damon [Hill] is different one, but they each header with it perfectly good due to the fact that they are conscionable existent radical astatine the extremity of the day. They mightiness beryllium mega stars erstwhile they’re successful a racing car, but they’re conscionable existent people.

“They travel implicit and engage, and they conscionable get stuck in. It impresses me. I don’t deliberation it matters whether you're successful TV oregon inactive driving oregon whatever.”

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