Michael Schumacher\u2019s Formula 1 legacy was secured at Ferrari, but unlike the complex negotiations of modern times, former team boss Jean Todt has revealed he managed to sign the driver in just a single day.<\/p>\n
Schumacher<\/a> was the hottest property on the F1 driver market in 1995, with one title in the bank and a second well on the way to being secured in what was just his fourth full season. Aided by his brilliance, Benetton was also headed for its sole constructors’ crown.\u00a0<\/p>\n With Renault pulling out of the championship and leaving Benetton \u2013 the team with which Schumacher was achieving success \u2013 and Williams<\/a> with engines developed by Mecachrome, Todt and Ferrari<\/a> seized their moment.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 1995, we were still rebuilding the team, and we knew that \u201996 was the year really to try to have, and you know, very often, among engineers, the chassis people were thinking \u2018We don\u2019t have a good engine\u2019, the engine people, \u2018We don\u2019t have a good chassis\u2019, and then above all, we don\u2019t have good drivers,\u201d said Todt on The High Performance Podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we thought, ok, to make sure nobody will be able to say that, having Michael, he was the best driver. We had to convince to take him.<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n \u201cWe discussed it early in \u201995, and then we spent one day in Monte Carlo \u2013 our lawyer, Henri Peter, and myself with Michael and Willi Weber \u2013 and after one day, we signed the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n