Michael Schumacher is an F1 legend who holds the joint-most championships ever won with Lewis Hamilton at seven. He tasted success first with Benetton in the mid-1990s and then with Ferrari, dominating the early 2000s.
However, despite being a fierce competitor in the car, Schumacher was a completely different person away from the car. Williams team principal James Vowles worked with Schumacher at Mercedes, and claims he was different behind the scenes, away from the cameras.
James Vowles says Michael Schumacher cared about his team members
Michael Schumacher ended his F1 retirement in 2010 when he signed for Mercedes. The Silver Arrows had just bought world champions Brawn GP, a team James Vowles had worked for. The Brit stayed on with Mercedes and worked alongside the German legend. Vowles says Schunacher connected with the people on his team to help bring them on his journey.
Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Vowles said: “He had a genuine interest in who you were and your life. I went motorbike racing with him in Paul Riccard and we had the time of our lives. We both still laugh about it for many years after. He knew at the time about my partner’s birthday. Flowers would arrive for her. It would embarrass me as I didn’t do that much.
Two for the price of one 👌 A cheeky Michael Schumacher double overtake from Canada 2011 👏 pic.twitter.com/dbW6papoVL
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) June 10, 2025
“He would take a genuine interest in who you are, who your family is, what drives you. Every single person in the team. That is hard to do. It’s not that he’s doing it because he wants to gain an advantage, he does it because he really cares. That’s Michael
“The Michael you had facing in front of the media is a very different Michael to what was behind the scenes. That’s how he did it. he would bring everyone on the journey”
Schumacher and Vowles worked together for three years before the German decided to retire from F1 for a second time. He wouldn’t return to the sport again, but he did set the foundations for the dominant car that helped Lewis Hamilton match his record.
James Vowles regrets Michael Schumacher not winning with Mercedes
Michael Schumacher won 91 races over his lengthy F1 career. However, on his return, Schumacher failed to win a single race with Mercedes. James Vowles says Schumacher was a leader, and the team followed his direction with the cars. However, the 46-year-old admits that Schumacher not winning with Mercedes is one of his regrets.
Vowlves concluded: “One of my regrets in my career is that we didn’t get a win for him. That still hurts me today. He deserved a win.”
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In Schumacher’s return to the sport, the German legend recorded a podium finish in the 2012 European GP, held in Valencia. That would be the last time he tasted champagne on the rostrum. After a difficult end to the season, he announced that he would retire and be replaced by Lewis Hamilton, and the rest is history for Mercedes and the Brit.
