Sam Bird has revealed details of Michael Schumacher’s character during their time together at Mercedes. Bird, who was a GP2 driver for ART Grand Prix, gained the opportunity to test for Mercedes and become their test driver. This opportunity allowed him to develop a relationship with his racing hero, Michael Schumacher.
An Unlikely First Meeting
Bird’s first encounter with Schumacher was far from traditional. He recounts meeting Schumacher in the toilets during his first meeting as a Mercedes team member. According to Bird, Schumacher and Ross Brawn later joked about the incident, which helped break the ice.
“I’d kind of met him before playing football in the charity match at Monaco and stuff like that,” Bird tells The Race. “But then all of a sudden I’m there in my new Mercedes kit as a driver at the rookie test in Abu Dhabi, and I’m about to have my first meeting as a team member.
“But before I do, I quickly nip to the toilet. I approach the loo and the indicator says green, so I push the door open and there he is. It’s Michael, but with parts of Michael I’d not been expecting to see!
Schumacher’s Generosity
Bird recalls Schumacher’s welcoming nature. He said Schumacher gave him a hug and welcomed him to the team. Bird developed a strong friendship with Schumacher and found him to be a generous person.
“Anyway, we had this meeting and Ross Brawn says: ‘Look, everybody, we’ve got young Sam Bird here and he’s going to be shadowing us this weekend and doing the rookie days for us and be our reserve. Please make him feel welcome. And, If you need to find him, he’ll be hanging around outside the toilets’.
“Michael had obviously teed that up with Ross, and that kind of started it off, breaking the ice. Michael came over, gave me a hug afterwards, said, ‘Welcome to the team’.”
Schumacher’s Interpersonal Skills
Bird noted Schumacher’s ability to connect with people. He found Schumacher’s interpersonal skills to be a standout quality during their time working together. Bird stated that Schumacher’s ability to galvanise was impressive.
Bird’s chance with Mercedes allowed him to develop a relationship with Schumacher, who was returning to F1. Bird’s experience offered a glimpse into Schumacher’s character.