The release of the Netflix Schumacher documentary reminded me of the time I met him. It was brief, and I could sense his reluctance, but he did me the favor of an autograph on a magazine cover featuring him.
At the time, he was one of the highest paid athletes in the world. Making $36 million US annually in salary, and upwards of $80 million if you include endorsements. I think that autograph cost Ferrari about $300 worth of his time.
It is quite a rare thing to be in the Formula 1 paddock. Unlike other forms of racing where you can buy a pass, it is invite only. I suspect Michael considered we might be someone important, otherwise how did we get there. It was only thanks to a spunky little team called Minardi and their fan club. The list of drivers that got their start at Minardi include Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso.
In addition to to meeting Michael, we got to tour the Minardi garage and hang out while the teams wheeled their cars to scrutineering. To my surprised, the teams were mostly OK with us taking pictures. One of my all time favorites is the fisheye shot in the cockpit of Michael’s F2005.
By the way, the documentary is quite well done. I do wish they had included a segment on the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix. Michael finished a strong second, despite being stuck in fifth gear for most of the race. In my mind, it’s the perfect example of why he is the greatest driver of all time. He may not hold all the records anymore, but he managed to wring results out of cars under circumstance where most everyone else would have given up.
