Michael Schumacher’s former manager, Willi Weber, has claimed that the Formula 1 legend did not crash into his rival on purpose.
Schumacher, 57, is arguably the best driver in F1 history, having won seven titles during a career that spanned more than 15 years.
The German also broke countless records and raced for teams such as Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes.
Schumacher was at the peak of his powers when he drove for Ferrari, winning five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004.
Willi Weber hits back at Jean Todt’s controversial claims
Speaking recently on the High Performance podcast, ex-Ferrari team boss Jean Todt claimed that Schumacher had crashed into Jacques Villeneuve on purpose during their 1997 title fight.
Todt said: “He crashed [into] him purposely, but he did it badly. He was going to lose the championship because he had to be in front of Villeneuve.
“He tried to avoid that, and he tried wrongly to do it. Michael did not know how to cheat; he did it, but he did it badly. It was a bad move, it was unnecessary.”
However, Schumacher’s former manager, Weber, has rejected Todt’s claims.
He said to the Kolner Express: “It left me speechless. Why would he say something like that? And especially in Michael’s difficult situation.
“Whoever knows Michael knows that there was no bad intention. It was a difficult but necessary manoeuvre to defend his position and, therefore, also the possible title.
“We have seen much more aggressive manoeuvres in the fight for the World Championship. Just think of Ayrton Senna against Alain Prost.
“What would happen if not even a seven-time world champion like Michael was allowed to make mistakes?”
Jean Todt says people have the wrong perception of Michael Schumacher
Although Schumacher built up a reputation as someone who would do anything to win, Todt, who worked at Ferrari from 1994 to 2009, stated that the German is ‘shy’ and ‘generous’.
When asked if Schumacher is an arrogant person, Todt said: “They’re completely wrong. He’s shy and generous. He hides his shyness by appearing arrogant.
“You don’t do that to get help; it’s just his personality. We were protecting each other. That’s how a professional relationship turned into a friendship. Michael Schumacher didn’t know how to cheat.”
Read More: Michael Schumacher told Ayrton Senna to ‘get lost’ after an incident at the 1992 German GP
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