By: Mattia Binotto recently praised his young driver Gabriel Bortoleto, saying the Brazilian possesses certain qualities that remind him of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher.
The Italian-Swiss engineer has worked in Formula 1 for more than three decades and spent 28 years at Scuderia Ferrari, before taking a break from motorsport and returning in 2024 to lead the Sauber project. During his long career, he has had the opportunity to work with numerous talented drivers. Among them, however, one holds a special place: Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion and Formula 1 legend.
When asked what he believed Schumacher's legacy in F1 was, Binotto immediately replied: "His work ethic. Michael is a person with great values in terms of commitment, professionalism, dedication, motivation and passion. You cannot improvise that".
Going into greater detail, the Team Principal explained: "Talent is necessary, but it is not enough. You need more. As a person, he gave his best outside the cockpit. As a driver, he lowered his visor and became the Michael we all saw and knew as a driver".
"I have always thought Michael was even stronger as a person, not only because of his work ethic, but because of his generosity towards everyone. He paid attention to every single person, making us feel comfortable and putting us in the ideal conditions to give our best".
"He cared about the person, the individual. Behind the cold, methodical German seen from the outside, there was a man who was very attentive to human sensitivity".
Asked whether any current F1 drivers reminded him of the German legend, he replied: "Gabriel Bortoleto. Because of his work ethic and because he is a person with great human sensitivity".
Bortoleto later learned of Binotto's words and explained that, although Schumacher was not his childhood idol, he came to recognise his greatness precisely through the many conversations he had with the Italian engineer: "Michael became one of my idols thanks to him. He always talks about him. So I started looking into him and realised how great he was".
In conclusion, the Brazilian added: "I was not even born when he won everything".
