"He didn’t need to do that" - Former F1 driver reveals Michael Schumacher conversation that 'still means a lot even today'

Karun Chandhok, a former F1 driver-turned-TV presenter, recently spoke about Michael Schumacher and his first interaction with the legendary driver. As the young Indian driver was about to start his F1 career, he had a conversation with the seven-time world champion which he still remembers and cherishes.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Chandhok shared the entire story of how he started his F1 career back in 2010 when Schumacher made his return to the sport. Chandhok explained how the German driver was the biggest star in the paddock, while he was nothing but a rookie. Despite their differences, Schumacher had an extremely polite conversation with the young Indian rookie.

Karun Chandhok said:

“This was Michael making his return to F1, he was the biggest star at that time, you’d have to say he’s bigger than Lewis [Hamilton], Fernando [Alonso], all these guys at that time. And I was a nobody, right? But he actually walked up to me and introduced himself to me, as if he had to, and said ‘welcome to F1’. And we had a conversation, where are you from? And asked a bit about my background, we had a really polite conversation. He didn’t need to do that."

Even after so many years, Karun Chandhok still cherishes his first conversation with his childhood hero. He also mentioned how he shared this story with Mick Schumacher, son of Michael Schumacher, saying:

“I told Mick [Schumacher] this story as well, when he came to me, and I said, I really appreciated that as a young kid coming into F1 with a guy who was on my bedroom wall. That meant a lot and still means a lot even today.”

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Mercedes boss explains similarities between Lewis Hamilton's and Michael Schumacher's roles in the team

Lewis Hamilton has been at Mercedes for over a decade now and has won seven world titles with the team. Hence, he is now an integral part of how the Silver Arrows operate in the sport. Toto Wolff recently drew similarities between the Briton's role with Michael Schumacher's when the latter was with the team back in 2010.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Mercedes team principal said:

"Obviously, there is his involvement in developing the car, and his presence in the factory. But I think on the race weekends, he has become such a senior figure, maybe a little bit like Michael (Schumacher) was back in the day."

When Michael Schumacher returned to the sport in 2010, he joined Mercedes and was one of the biggest stars in the paddock. Unfortunately, the second half of his career was a disappointment. He, however, played an important role in the team due to his experience, similar to what Lewis Hamilton has in the present.