Nineteen years ago Michael Schumacher made his Formula One debut. Nineteen years of interviews - and seven world titles - later, there’s very little we don’t know about Schumacher. But after he agreed to partake in our Secret Life series, we managed to wrangle a few surprises out of the German legend. Samuel Beckett, skydiving and Italian culinary exploits are just some of his unexpected answers…
Q: Are you a ‘Plan-B’ kind of guy?
Michael Schumacher: No.
Q: Driving a Formula One car aside, what is your favourite buzz?
MS: At the moment it is skydiving.
Q: Who do you most look forward to seeing when you arrive in the paddock on a Thursday?
MS: The engineers.
Q: Who is your dream date?
MS: She is also my dream come true - Corinna.
Q: Which film has made you cry?
MS: Lately it was Slumdog Millionaire. Well, at least a little.
Q: What are you afraid of - and why?
MS: It was heights, but not anymore.
Q: What was the last book you read?
MS: Something from Samuel Beckett. I am very bad at remembering the titles of books and movies and stuff like that.
Q: What is your favourite way to relax?
MS: A glass of red wine and a cigar.
Q: Five things that you hate?
MS: I don’t really hate anything.
Q: Have you ever - or would you ever - dye your hair?
MS: Sure. Why not?
Q: What was the first CD that you bought?
MS: It was an LP - I think some hard rock, metal stuff.
Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
MS: Only temporary ones.
Q: What did teachers say about you in your school report?
MS: Not nice things.
Q: Who were your childhood heroes?
MS: Hard to tell. I did not really have any.
Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?
MS: Cigars? Poker? I don’t think I should feel guilty about it.
Q: Do you collect anything?
MS: Watches maybe. But not madly.
Q: What do you miss most about home when you are on the road?
MS: My family.
Q: What was your worst-ever buy?
MS: That changes with every fashion change.
Q: How do you take your coffee?
MS: With hot milk.
Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?
MS: A long breakfast with my family.
Q: What was the first car or machine you drove?
MS: A Fiat 500 - well, actually I drove a lot of karts before that.
Q: What was the most embarrassing mistake you have made?
MS: Choose one.
Q: What is the best thing that you can cook?
MS: Italian pasta probably.
Q: When was the last time you were really furious?
MS: Really, really furious? In Spa, 1998 [when he crashed into the rear of David Coulthard’s McLaren while leading a very wet Belgian Grand Prix. Coulthard was a lap down and Schumacher blamed the Scot for the incident.]
Source: Formula1.com