Formula 1 | Schumacher lied to Jordan about his F1 experience in 1991

The 1991 F1 Belgian Grand Prix, which marked its 30th anniversary on Wednesday, marked Michael Schumacher’s Formula 1 debut. The German replaced at short notice Bertrand Gachot, stuck in London in legal trouble.

But the situation was just as catastrophic for the team as it was for the Franco-Belgian driver, since the team was seriously lacking in resources. In default of payment, she could not play a normal first day on Friday, for the first laps of Schumacher.

« When we arrived in Spa, we were confronted by eight police officers mandated by bailiffs » Eddie Jordan told the F1 Nation podcast. « They confiscated the truck, blocked it until we paid what someone said we owed them. »

Jordan reveals that Schumacher lied to him when talking about his experience: “What people don’t realize is that Michael didn’t really ride on Friday so I had no idea how good he was until qualifying. He had been lying to me on purpose. To be honest, that was the way Michael was. « 

« I asked him directly, as I would any other rider, if he had been to Spa before, and he said yes. But he had never raced there, so he told me. misled. So when he qualified seventh on his first time, in what was our first year, it was pretty sensational. « 

And the Irishman recalled that for his first race, Schumacher was a paying driver since his team needed funds, which had been the first criterion of choice: « We had Andrea de Cesaris, who for me was really a talented driver. »

« Yes, he used to have accidents a lot, but not with me. He was a fantastic guy and the reason I hired him was that I had known him well from his F3 debut. . « 

“I have to say that at the time, Michael was there purely because he had money from Mercedes and Jordan was desperate, desperate to find finances. That’s how he got the flying. »