Fernando Alonso has pinpointed one trait he felt 'teacher' Michael Schumacher was able to pass on during their Formula 1 battles. Schumacher started the 21st century as 'the man to beat' in Grand Prix racing, winning five straight titles between 2000-2004, prior to Alonso's first title in 2005. For 2006, the Scuderia were back on form with Schumacher battling new World Champion Alonso in scenes similar to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in 2021 - minus the collisions. In the end, Alonso emerged victorious with the title as he assumed Schumacher's mantle, with the German headed off into his first retirement.
Reflecting on the battles in an interview with Aston Martin as the team prepare to unveil the AMR23 on Monday at their Silverstone base, Alonso highlighted Schumacher's tenacity. "Michael didn't have bad days, Michael never underperformed," he explained. "That's what impressed me most when I got to Formula 1 and especially when I fought with him for the championship. "Previously, in all my career and different categories, my rivals had some bad days and those were the days you would capitalise and score more points than them. "With Michael, that didn't happen. He and Ferrari were unbeatable most of the time, but even when the didn't have the car, the tyres or whatever working in the right window, Michael still finished second or third. "Even after a bad free practice or a bad qualifying, you would still find Michael on the podium on Sunday. "He had this tenacity, this willingness to exploit any opportunity - to minimise the damage on the bad days and maximise the good days. His determination was outstanding.
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