Boss Makes a Sacred Vow, 25 Years after Michael Schumacher Historically Pulled 19 Qualifying Laps

Everyone remembers the king, but history hardly remembers the kingmaker. This could’ve been the case with Michael Schumacher as well. Although no one can forget the contribution of Ross Brawn to the German’s career. The two made an incredible duo that won multiple championships and all of Schumacher’s. The Brawn/Schumacher partnership pulled off one of the most audacious comebacks in the history of the sport. The Brawn/Schumacher partnership was too strong for many to handle. However, after their separation in 1996, the man responsible for bringing them back together made a sacred vow 25 years later.

We are talking about Ferrari‘s then-GM Jean Todt. The Frenchman was the man responsible for getting the German to a struggling Ferrari back in 1996 right after winning two back-to-back championships. After the first year, Todt also poached Brawn from Benetton, reuniting the deadly duo, and thus began Ferrari’s journey back to the top. During this journey, Brawn and Schumacher pulled off a masterclass during the 1998 Hungarian GP and snatched a win.

To cover the 25-second gap to rival Mika Hakkinen, Brawn got on the radio and made an audacious request from Schumacher. As quoted by F1.com, Brawn said, “Michael, you have 19 laps to pull out 25 seconds. We need 19 qualifying laps from you. Ok. Thank you.”

Today, 17th August is the 25th anniversary of this incredible feat and the former boss Jean Todt could not help but control his emotions. The Frenchman took to Twitter to remember his old friend while vowing to stand by him as he recovers from his horrific injuries. Todt tweeted, “We love you Michael! We will always fight for you, and with you.”

Jean Todt, to this day, still clearly has a lot of affection toward Schumacher. In fact, the Frenchman showcased that during his FIA farewell speech as well.

Jean Todt showcases his affection toward Michael Schumacher during his emotional farewell speech

Jean Todt rose through the F1 ranks and, after his stint at Ferrari, joined the sport’s governing body, the FIA. The Frenchman became the FIA president until December 2021. During this farewell speech, Schumacher’s ex-boss couldn’t help but reminisce about his star pupil.

“I’m missing Michael tonight. He will always be in my heart. We built so much together. We suffered together, and that made us stronger.” said Todt during his farewell speech.

In fact, the ruthless boss even invited Schumacher during his first presidency announcement in 2009, when he could invite only three people. So he chose, “My wife, Michael, and my son. This is something I will never forget.”

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We hardly come across such incredible relationships in the world of F1 anymore, so let’s treasure them for as long as we can.