Weber defends Schumacher: “Why is Todt talking about deliberate incidents? Does he want to clear himself after the fact?”
Willi Weber, the long-time former manager of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, has admitted he was left “speechless” after recent comments made by Jean Todt. The former Ferrari team principal spoke openly about Schumacher’s career in a podcast interview, prompting a strong reaction from one of the German driver’s closest historical allies.
Jean Todt and Schumacher’s mistakes
In a lengthy interview given to the High Performance podcast, former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt reflected in detail on his years at Maranello and his working relationship with Michael Schumacher. While acknowledging the German driver’s extraordinary achievements, Todt also highlighted what he described as costly mistakes that may have denied Schumacher additional world titles.
“In 1997, Michael deliberately crashed into Villeneuve, but he did it badly. It cost him the championship, just like in the qualifying session in Monaco in 2006 when he spun on purpose,” Todt said, referring to two of the most controversial moments in Schumacher’s Formula 1 career.
Willi Weber hits back at Todt
Jean Todt’s remarks quickly reached Willi Weber, Schumacher’s first manager in Formula 1, who strongly defended his former driver in comments to the German outlet Express. Weber made it clear that he fundamentally disagreed with Todt’s interpretation of those incidents.
“I am speechless. Why would he say something like that? And especially considering Michael’s difficult situation,” Weber said. “Anyone who knows him understands that there was no intention behind it. They were tough maneuvers, but necessary to defend his position and therefore also a possible title.”
Weber went on to question the reasoning behind Todt’s statements, suggesting that such comments overlook the broader context of Formula 1 history.
“We have seen much more aggressive maneuvers in championship battles — just think of Senna and Prost. Where would we end up if a seven-time world champion were no longer allowed to make mistakes? A lot of time has passed, and these situations have already been analyzed in depth. Maybe Todt wants to clear himself after the fact?”
Finally, Willi Weber revealed that he has not had any contact with Jean Todt since the skiing accident that changed Michael Schumacher’s life, adding another layer of distance between the two figures who once worked closely together during Ferrari’s most dominant era in Formula 1.
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