"They always thought the world was against them": Toto Wolff's intriguing insight on F1 greats Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher

Toto Wolff shared his take on Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, two of the greatest drivers in Formula 1. Speaking about them, the Mercedes boss said Senna and Schumacher believed that 'the world was against them' and termed this a virtue of theirs as a "pattern of the great ones."

Senna and Schumacher together won 10 F1 titles and 132 race wins. Their competitiveness knew no bounds. So much so that they were of the opinion that the entire world was against them.

Wolff sat with renowned F1 commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle, discussing Schumacher and Senna. Speaking about the late Brazilian driver, Brundle said:

"A complex individual, an emotionally driven man. Had the gift I've never seen before. I'll say he knew the grip before and during the corner, and we knew the grip during and after the corner, and he had this sixth sense that he felt that the world was against him. Whether that was the FIA, or whether that was the British F3."

Replying to Brundle's statement, Wolff said,

"That's the pattern of the great ones, that raises their performance levels."

Brundle added how he raced against both Senna and Schumacher and how both of them were God-gifted talents. Meanwhile, Wolff stopped Brundle midway and said:

"They all think that the world is against them, and that really gives them supernatural power."

Michael Schumacher holds seven F1 titles, joint leader with Lewis Hamilton for the most in the sport. He raced in the most premium form of Motorsport for nearly two decades and racked up 308 entries, 91 wins and 155 podiums.

Meanwhile, Ayrton Senna raced in F1 for a decade before facing an untimely death in 1994. Senna has 162 races to his name, with three Championships, 41 wins and 80 podiums.

---

When Toto Wolff named Michael Schumacher as one of Mercedes' founding fathers

In 2019, Toto Wolff hailed Michael Schumacher as one of Mercedes' founding fathers. Speaking on the eve of Schumacher's birthday, Wolff said (via F1.com):

“He played a crucial role when we re-joined F1 and was one of the people who laid the foundation for our future success. We're extremely grateful for everything he did for us."

Michael Schumacher of Germany and Mercedes GP drives in his last race during the 2012 Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Notably, Schumacher rejoined F1 with Mercedes in 2010 and raced with them till 2012. It was the Silver Arrows' initial years as they took over Brawn GP and rebranded it as the Mercedes F1 team. Schumacher's addition to a team from his own country not only brought huge publicity to the team but also paved the way to long-term success.