"He will stay wishing" - When Michael Schumacher reacted to rumors of F1 championship rival Damon Hill joining Benetton

Grand Prix of Brazil - Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher share a podium
Grand Prix of Brazil - Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher share a podium

Michael Schumacher responded to rumors of rival Damon Hill joining his then-team Benetton in a video from 1995. The German claimed Hill wished he could join the world championship-winning team and also concluded that he would "stay wishing."

Michael Schumacher battled with Damon Hill in the '90s. The duo developed a bitter and fierce rivalry with comparisons made to the infamous Senna-Prost rivalry earlier in the decade. Schumacher, who raced for Benetton in 1995, was only a one-time world champion when Damon Hill became a serious threat.

Ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Williams driver Hill was rumored to have wanted to join the Benetton team at the time. Schumacher responded rather sarcastically, saying Hill would "stay wishing" and had no real chance of joining the team. Watch the clip below:

The British Grand Prix of 1995 was full of friction between the two championship protagonists. Damon Hill, who started from pole position and opted for a two-stop pit strategy, was overtaken by Michael Schumacher, who chose to pit only once. When Hill tried to overtake the German four laps later, the two drivers collided resulting in a double DNF.

Damon Hill did not manage to beat Michael Schumacher that year but won the drivers' title in 1996 after the German moved to Ferrari.


Max Verstappen breaks long-standing Michael Schumacher record

Max Verstappen created history by becoming the first Dutchman to win an F1 world championship title. In doing so, the 24-year-old also beat the record for the highest number of podiums in a season — with 18. Schumacher previously held the record with 17 podiums achieved with Ferrari in the 2002 season.

Despite breaking the record, Schumacher still holds a 100% podium rate as the driver appeared on the victory stand in all 17 races in 2002. Verstappen showed up on the podium 18 out of 22 times this year, giving him an 81.8% podium rate.

Before the young Dutchman broke the record, many drivers had equaled Michael Schumacher's record. Sebastian Vettel achieved 17 podiums out of 19 races in 2011 en route to winning his second world title. Lewis Hamilton has equaled the record a shocking four times — in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021.


Also Read: Which driver has the most F1 wins?

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Edited by Anurag C