David Couthard explains what made Michael Schumacher ‘so brilliant’ to race against

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Michael Schumacher is undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers to get behind the wheel in Formula 1 with 91 victories and seven world championships to his name.

Throughout his time in F1, the German was known for being one of the toughest drivers to race against on track due to his uncompromising attitude towards his rivals.

Former Ferrari engineer, Andrea Stella praised Schumacher for his results on track during the 2004 season when he took his seventh title.

David Coulthard raced against Schumacher for 12 years and had his fair share of on-track squabbles, notably at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix when the pair collided while the Ferrari driver was trying to lap him in the rain.

McLaren and Ferrari were always duelling on track in the late 90s and early 00s, particularly in the battle between Mika Haikkinen and Schumacher, as the Italian team attempted to secure their first championship in 20 years.

Coulthard revealed why Schumacher was such a ‘brilliant’ driver to race against, despite his tough attitude on track when speaking on the Formula for Success podcast.

David Coulthard reveals why Michael Schumacher was ‘brilliant’ on track

Several other drivers in F1 are known for their hard approach to racing, including Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso.

Coulthard explains why this was a key trait that separated Schumacher and other world champions apart from the rest when racing wheel-to-wheel with them for victories.

“Who was the toughest driver to pass? In my year, probably Michael because you had to be very committed to get the pass done,” said Coulthard.

“If you stuck your nose in, in a half-hearted way, you would be losing your front wing. But that was part of what made him so brilliant. He was ruthless in every element of what he was doing and that moved the bar in certain driving standards.”

David Coulthard says Michael Schumacher not ‘the best’ despite winning F1 title

Despite winning Ferrari’s first title since 1979 with Jody Scheckter, Coulthard was not impressed with Schumacher in the 2000 season.

The Scot believed that other significant factors came into play during the campaign, which is why Haikkinen was denied the title.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Coulthard claims that McLaren would give both drivers a shot at taking the title in 2000 after back-to-back titles for Haikkinen, but poor reliability often impacted their finishing positions.

The title in 2000 would go on to kick start four years of dominance from Schumacher, who achieved his final title in 2004 before Alonso ended his reign in 2005.