Luca Cordero di Montezemolo reveals moment that convinced Michael Schumacher to join Ferrari. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo revealed a behind-the-scenes story in the negotiations with Michael Schumacher.

Yesterday marked Michael Schumacher’s 55th birthday, spent once again in the quiet protection of his family and amid the tributes of those who remembered him on social media. Not only did fans dedicate a thought to him, but also the official accounts of the teams he raced for. Even his son Mick wanted to share a photo depicting him as a child alongside his father. And on this day, it is necessary to talk about the Kaiser, perhaps more than on that “dark” December 29, and share some anecdotes from his life.

In a recent interview with Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo revealed a behind-the-scenes story in the negotiations that led to the German champion arriving in Maranello to join Ferrari. The peculiarity is that Michael Schumacher was not completely captivated by the myth of Ferrari, unlike past and future drivers who have spent a lifetime aspiring to the Prancing Horse. Yet, there was an event that convinced him to listen to Niki Lauda and Jean Todt’s request.

“When I returned to Ferrari, the goal was to rebuild the team. I had to hire competent people to plan a winning cycle and create a good atmosphere in the company. I chose Jean Todt because I didn’t like mercenaries, and he had spent his entire managerial career at Peugeot. Then came Brawn, Byrne, Martinelli, and Domenicali. At that point, and only at that point, a driver was missing who could make a difference. Following Enzo Ferrari’s lesson, who never exposed himself in the first person, I asked Niki Lauda to go talk to Willy Weber, Schumi’s manager. He made initial contact, and then passed the matter on to Jean Todt. And finally, Michael came to me. That German guy didn’t have the myth of Ferrari one hundred percent. But he understood its importance when the year before he was leading the German GP. Two laps from the end, the engine broke, and Gerhard Berger won in the red car. He confessed to me that he was very impressed: “I, a German, in my home circuit, stop due to a failure and see the whole Hockenheim full of Ferrari flags cheering an Austrian,” said the former Ferrari CEO.