“He made me the most famous world go-kart champion in the world”: Former F1 driver on Michael Schumacher for ‘publicity’

Former F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi recently mentioned that he shot to fame only because of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher's 'surprise' visit to his go-kart track in Kempen, Germany. The legendary German driver had just won his fourth title in 2001 and decided to relax by going to the go-kart track in Kempen.

This visit attracted about five thousand fans to see the F1 legend ahead of the world go-kart championship, where the then 19-year-old Luizzi was competing. Speaking to F1.com, the Italian said of Michael Schumacher:

“I thought, ‘No, I hate this’. Because it was taking away all the media coverage, so all of the focus went on Michael Schumacher. Now I will never stop thanking him, because he made me the most famous world go-kart champion in the world.

Liuzzi further stated:

"Everyone wrote that he was competing but at the end of the article they wrote a little part that I won the karting championship. I have to thank Michael for the publicity, and we forged a really great relationship – he respected me a lot – and he is a huge karting fan.”

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Former F1 driver compares Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso's comeback in F1

Former McLaren and Red Bull driver Dabid Coulthard mentioned that the primary reason behind Fernando Alonso's continued success in his 40s in comparison to Michael Schumacher's performance is that the two-time world champion never stopped racing. In his Formula for Success podcast, the Scotsman said:

"He did IndyCar, Dakar, and he's got a kart track. So, he was uninterrupted being in the mode of being a racing driver and all of the things that keep you sharp in your mind. You often use the expression 'don't let the old man in'. If you let the old man or the old woman in, that ultimately is what you end up becoming. But if you fight against that, you keep a young spirit for as long as nature will allow."

Addressing the topic in greater detail, he continued:

"So I think in comparison to Michael, who stopped and was no longer racing, and then went and played in motorbikes and then had a crash and broke a vertebra. When he came back to Formula 1, it was three years after he'd originally left. He could still go through the motions. He was still an incredible individual, but he just wasn't as good as he had been before because he was in his 40s and the clock had moved. So I think the uninterrupted nature of Fernando's time away from Formula 1 has really helped."

It would be fascinating to see if Alonso shares the same view as Coulthard with regards to this subject.