Michael Schumacher’s respect for Häkkinen and Vettel explained by Ferrari engineer. Inside Schumacher’s admiration for Häkkinen and Vettel during Ferrari years.

Schumacher admired Häkkinen and Vettel, says Clear: “He was frustrated not to be able to fight with Seb”

The British engineer who worked closely with the German legend has listed the drivers who left the biggest impression on Michael Schumacher throughout his career.

Schumacher-Häkkinen: a defining rivalry

The rivalry between Mika Häkkinen and Michael Schumacher lit up the late 1990s and became one of the defining battles of the modern Formula 1 era. Driving for McLaren, the Finnish champion came out on top in 1998 and repeated his success in 1999, a season in which Schumacher’s championship hopes were heavily affected by his Silverstone crash, forcing Ferrari to rely on Eddie Irvine in the title fight.

Michael Schumacher would ultimately turn the tables, winning the intense championship duel in 2000 before going on to dominate Formula 1 all the way through to 2004.

The two drivers had also crossed paths earlier in their careers, including a memorable and controversial Formula 3 encounter in Macau. On the long straight leading to the Lisboa corner, Schumacher was defending the lead from Häkkinen when he appeared to brake earlier than expected, catching the Finn off guard and resulting in a collision between the two cars.

Jock Clear, the British engineer who worked extensively with Michael Schumacher during his time at Ferrari, has spoken about the German driver’s genuine admiration for several of his rivals.

“Who did Michael Schumacher admire in terms of pure speed? I think Mika Häkkinen was the one he really, really considered very, very fast,” Clear said in comments to Betpack.

Jock Clear also revealed that Michael Schumacher held a strong appreciation for his fellow German driver Sebastian Vettel, particularly during the latter’s dominant Red Bull years.

“I know that in his later years he had great respect for Sebastian Vettel, and I think he really valued the relationship and friendship he had with Seb,” Jock Clear added. “There was a lot to learn from Seb, and I think Michael also felt he learned a great deal from him in those final years about how intelligent a driver he was.”

“Michael was there, further back on the grid, while Seb was winning those championships, and I know he was frustrated that he couldn’t fight him directly. I know how much he admired Seb from afar during those years, between 2010 and 2012.”