Michael Schumacher's former Mercedes race engineer Jock Clear has offered a nuanced perspective on the seven-time world champion, describing two distinct sides to his character during his time in Formula 1. Clear, who now coaches Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, worked with Schumacher during the German driver's final seasons in the sport after his comeback from retirement.
Schumacher's Return to F1
Schumacher returned to Formula 1 in 2010 following a three-year hiatus, but his second stint did not replicate the dominance of his earlier career. He led for just three laps and failed to add to his then-record 91 race wins. However, he did secure one more podium finish, the 155th of his career. Clear recalls the experience of working with the legendary driver.
A Complex Personality
Speaking to Betpack, Clear said: "His way of dealing with people… it's not as simple as just being, 'he was such a nice guy.' There were things about Michael that weren't very nice. There were times when he could be not a very nice guy." Clear elaborated: "He had a very edgy side to his character when he wanted to, and we saw that in the cockpit a few times. But he had a very engaging character, where when he wanted to get people on side, he knew how to do it."
Lessons for Nico Rosberg
Clear used Schumacher as an example for his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg. He explained: "When I engineered Nico Rosberg in 2010, Michael was on the other side of the garage. Nico and Michael were very different. Nico was offered a place at Imperial College London to do engineering, so he had a very good engineering background." Clear noted that Rosberg would analyse data and question Schumacher's techniques. "There were times when I felt like saying to Nico, 'close the laptop and just sit and look at the man. Listen to him and listen to how he talks to people, and watch him, watch his body language.' I said to Nico that 'what you're not getting is how well Michael engaged with people and how well everybody wanted to be on Michael's car.'"
Natural Charisma
Clear emphasised that Schumacher's ability to inspire support was innate: "Everybody wanted Michael to win. Everybody wanted Michael to be their best mate. He just engendered that sort of support, naturally. There was nothing forced about it. He wasn't calculated about it; he was just a very engaging character, and in a very competitive environment, that's the kind of thing that makes a difference."
