Jacques Villeneuve believes Michael Schumacher “wouldn’t be happy if Hamilton broke his record”. Jacques Villeneuve feels Michael Schumacher would not celebrate Lewis Hamilton’s eighth title.

Jacques Villeneuve on Michael Schumacher
It is no secret that there was never any sporting love between Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher. The two were rivals, especially in the 1996 and 1997 seasons, when the German was trying to bring a world title back to Maranello—a goal he would only achieve a few years later during Ferrari’s golden era of triumphs. They fought wheel-to-wheel, and sometimes even closer, as in the controversial Jerez incident, never holding back in their exchanges.

Years later, however, the Canadian champion revealed that the Kaiser had softened during his second stint in F1, when, in his forties, he returned to the paddock as a Mercedes driver.

“My relationship with Michael Schumacher? Back then,” Jacques Villeneuve said in a lengthy interview with yaysweepstakes.com, “there was no relationship. When you don’t have a connection with someone, you don’t even notice who does. You’re simply not in their circle. It was easier to interact with him when he returned with Mercedes, but that’s something you see with many drivers. They step away for a couple of years, and when they come back, they seem to appreciate how extraordinary racing and F1 truly are. And they enjoy it more. I’d say he ‘softened’—that’s the word I was looking for. You see it with Fernando Alonso, for example. You see it with everyone. They step away and then return for a while.” – he pointed out.

Lewis Hamilton and the F1 title record
Understanding Michael Schumacher’s ruthless competitive nature, the 53-year-old Canadian is convinced that the German would not be pleased to see Lewis Hamilton win his eighth title with Ferrari:

“No one who holds a record wants to be beaten. It’s part of the game—that’s why you’re an athlete. Every driver, myself included, has always said that the number of wins doesn’t matter, that records don’t matter, but that’s not true. You don’t want to seem pompous or arrogant, so you say numbers aren’t important. But of course, they are. It’s part of your ego, part of why you race. You want to win, you want to beat everyone, you want to be the best. You want results, victories, championships, and the highest salary. That’s how you measure yourself. It’s crucial.” – the former Formula 1 driver concluded.