Ralf Schumacher paid a glowing tribute to his brother Michael on an Italian Grand Prix weekend where Ferrari are honouring their most successful Formula 1 driver.
This season represents 30 years since Michael, six-and-a-half years older than fellow F1 driver and brother Ralf, made his debut for the Scuderia, a team he went on to win five consecutive world championships with.
Both Lewis Hamilton's and Charles Leclerc’s cars will adorn Schumacher’s logo and seven stars on the chassis to represent Schumacher’s title tally – a feat only matched by Hamilton. On Sunday, Sebastian Vettel will also drive a “celebratory” lap in Schumacher’s title-winning 2002 car.
Schumacher Snr. won five times at Monza and younger brother Ralf paid a glowing tribute to his brother, who has not been seen in public since a skiing accident in December 2013.
"Well, it is very emotional," Schumacher said, as a montage of Schumacher’s success in Monza was aired by Sky Sports F1. "You tend to forget things because time moves on, Formula 1 moves on so rapidly, everything happens so fast.
"But seeing all those pictures again reminds you of what he achieved in his time. And he was one of the biggest of all time.
“He always became better with pressure. And at Ferrari, as you see also today, for all the drivers, even for the team principals, it's full of pressure because of the emotions of Ferrari fans and all of Italy.
"This brand is amazing, isn't it? I've never experienced anything else like that in Formula 1."
Ralf, who also works as a pundit for Sky Germany, added that there was nobody he looked up to more than his older brother as he set about his own F1 career, where he earned six race wins.
"I was always asked, 'Who was your personal idol?' And I never had one except my brother,” he said.
“And it's strange to say that because we are only six and a half years apart, but all I ever knew about racing, he taught me.”
Schumacher won for the final time at Monza in 2006, the same year he announced his retirement, before returning in 2010 with Mercedes for three years.
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