"We wouldn't hang out together": When Michael Schumacher opened up on his relationship with Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso broke Michael Schumacher's championship-winning streak in 2005 and fended him off from having a shot at the title in 2006. Reflecting on his relationship with the Spaniard, the German claimed that the pair wouldn't hang out together apart from engaging in their common interest, as he revealed in an interview in 2006.

Schumacher was an established name in F1 when Alonso made his debut in 2001. The young driver soon moved to the Enstone-based squad that the German had left multiple years ago, which now competed under the alias of Renault, and dethroned the seven-time champion from the top of F1 in 2005.

With Schumacher being beaten off to the championship, many speculated about the pair's relationship. Moreover, when asked about it and how the two engage, the then-Ferrari driver told Autoweek that they had mutual respect, but wouldn't hang out with each other:

"Very different. I respect him, we're very different. The only common thing we have, we like soccer. We play; usually we play on the Thursday (before races) and just have fun amongst us, and occasionally [Renault's Giancarlo] Fisichella will come along and play with us. So that's the only common thing we have, we wouldn't hang out together."

In his 19 years of racing in F1, only a few drivers were able to beat Schumacher over the course of a championship year when he had the machinery to fight for the title.

---

If not Fernando Alonso, then who was the rival that Michael Schumacher respected the most?

Michael Schumacher racing for Ferrari at the 2006 F1 Grand Prix of San Marino race weekend- Source: Getty

Though Fernando Alonso halted Michael Schumacher's title streak with Ferrari, the German battled a host of opponents at the front end. Among all, one stood out the most to him, who was the Flying Finn.

Revealing the opponent whom he respected the most in his time in F1 in his last interview before his skiing accident, the 56-year-old named Mika Hakkinen:

"The most respected guy, in all those years, definitely was Mika Hakkinen. Great fights, but stable, private relationship."

Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher's legacy still stands out to this day. So, when he was asked about the myriad of records he etched into the F1 history books, the German replied:

"Doubts, I think it is very important to not be over-confident, to be skeptical. To look for improvements, to look for the next step. I always felt, 'I'm not good enough. I need to work on myself.' And I guess that was one of the recipes that made me what I became. Talent in motorsport, as in any sport, is important. But that's not all. You really need to develop lots of different skills."

On the other hand, since his skiing accident in 2013, Schumacher has remained with his family, with his inner circle maintaining a close hold of any information being released to the public about the seven-time champion's health.