"He was very important to me": When Michael Schumacher remembered Ayrton Senna's impact on his F1 career

Michael Schumacher’s most emotional F1 moment did not come in a title decider, but after a race win. At the 2000 Italian Grand Prix, he equaled late Ayrton Senna’s tally of 41 Grand Prix victories, which triggered a rare public breakdown from the usually reserved former Ferrari driver.

Schumacher’s 41st win came at Monza, where he beat Mika Häkkinen by over three seconds. It made him the second-most successful race winner in F1 history at the time, behind only Alain Prost. When asked about the significance in the post-race press conference, Schumacher broke down in tears after saying:

“Yes, it does mean a lot to me.”

Michael Schumacher was already rewriting the record books in 2000. Ayrton Senna reached 41 wins across 161 Grands Prix. Schumacher arrived at the same number in just 137 starts, almost a season and a half quicker. At that stage, the Germans’ 40 wins alone outweighed the combined total of the rest of the grid. He also went on to win the next three races to match Nigel Mansell’s record of nine wins in a single season.

Later, Schumacher explained the significance of the moment in a BBC interview, making clear that the emotions had little to do with numbers alone.

“You saw what it meant. These emotions got out were because of remembering him,” Schumacher said (via Crash.Net). “He was my idol. When Senna was racing karts, I was 10 years old, and I thought, who is that guy driving so fast and overtaking the way he did.” “I thought he was special. I didn’t follow his career. I was not a typical fan of his, but he was very important to me. We had our difficult time in the beginning. But in the end we had a lot more respect for each other and then we had the tragedy at Imola... To be on the level of a person like Senna means a lot to me," he added.

Schumacher surpassed Senna’s total at the United States Grand Prix the very next weekend. Yet the milestone at Monza carried a weight that other records never did, as he continued to see the Brazilian as a reference point.

The two had competed directly from 1991 until Senna’s fatal crash at Imola in 1994, while he was leading Schumacher. Their rivalry was tense early on, shaped by clashes and strong personalities, but mutual respect grew over time. Senna’s death marked a turning point in Schumacher’s career and outlook.

Michael Schumacher’s own life changed dramatically years later. In 2013, he sustained severe brain injuries in a skiing accident and was placed in a medically induced coma before being brought home for long-term care. More than a decade on, those close to the situation have indicated he remains in poor health.

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Michael Schumacher once called Ayrton Senna “the greatest”

(L-R) Michael Schumacher, Nigel Mansell, and Ayrton Senna celebrate the 1992 German Grand Prix. Source: Getty

Even as Michael Schumacher went on to surpass nearly every benchmark in Formula 1, his view of Ayrton Senna never shifted. Speaking to the media in 2000, before he matched Senna’s wins, Schumacher dismissed any direct comparisons.

“Senna is the greatest,” Schumacher said (via Autosport in 2000). “You cannot compare us because we are drivers from different eras. No-one can know how much more he would have achieved in his career if he had carried on racing.”

By the time Michael Schumacher retired, his record stood at seven world titles, 91 wins, 155 podiums, 77 fastest laps, and 308 race starts. Senna’s career ended with three championships, 41 wins, 80 podiums, 19 fastest laps, and 161 races, but an influence that remained unmatched in Schumacher’s eyes.

Edited by Parag Jain