Peter Sauber Reveals Why Michael Schumacher Will Remain the Greatest F1 Driver

Sauber Motorsports AG, currently racing as Alfa Romeo, are one of the oldest racing outfits that exist on the F1 grid this season. To be precise, the fourth oldest, only after Ferrari, McLaren, and Williams. And the Swiss-based outfit have bred several racing drivers, including the eventual legend, Michael Schumacher.

During the early days in F1, Sauber nurtured Schumacher with several private tests, including the Fiorano test with the Sauber C16 in 1997. Amidst such assistance from the team, the founder, Peter Sauber, is a great admirer of the seven-time world champion.

He reckoned that Schumacher was at the maximum at all points, and it was quite hard for his team to expect a similar level of performance from fellow racing colleagues too.

Sauber hails Michael Schumacher as the greatest

As reported by Speed Week, Sauber opined that Michael Schumacher will always remain the greatest racing driver of all time. Furthermore, the Swiss also spoke about Eddie Jordan’s unfounded love for the German racing legend, who was willing to pay a hefty sum of money to sign Schumacher for 1991.

“At first glance, it is almost impossible to follow in the footsteps,” Sauber said. “Various factors have to be present in a racing driver. Talent is definitely the most important thing. With Michael, it was the case that he was at the maximum in almost all points. It’s difficult to expect something like that from others.

“You didn’t have to convince Eddie Jordan. He wanted Michael. In the end, it was important that someone was willing to pay that $ 300,000 for a race.” (Translated via Google Translate)

Michael is something very special: Sauber

The Sauber founder opened up how Schumacher impressed him in his very first year at Le Mans. “You have seen more than once that Michael is something very special. It was seen very clearly that he is a very great talent,” he said.

“In his first year in the sports car, he showed that he is very fast. Not only was he quick, he was also very careful with the material. The best example was Le Mans in 1991. It used the least fuel, the fewest tires, and the least brakes. And he was still the fastest.”

Overall, 1991 turned out to be the birth of a racing driver, who went on to rule the world of Formula 1 for over a decade before taking a sabbatical until 2009.

Although Schumacher’s comeback years weren’t as exemplary, his return did garner a lot more interest in the fans, and the sport’s fame reached new heights. So, do you think Schumacher is the real ‘GOAT’ of Formula 1?

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