An F1 insider has revealed some quotes from an F1 champion regarding the mind games he faced from seven-time champion Michael Schumacher when they were team-mates.
After losing out on the 2005 and 2006 world championships to Fernando Alonso, Schumacher opted to retire from F1 as a seven-time champion.
He would only sit out three seasons though, before making a stunning return in 2010 as a 41-year-old.
Schumacher joined Mercedes, helping the German car manufacturer to find their feet in their early days as a works F1 outfit. He raced for three seasons for Mercedes, picking up just one podium, but his input was crucial in determining the outfit’s future, and they were the dominant force in the sport by 2014.
Despite having a respectful relationship in a kind of master and apprentice setup, Rosberg and Schumacher did not always see eye to eye, particularly during weekends when Mercedes were challenging for podiums or race wins.
Now, Sky Sports F1 presenter Rachel Brookes has revealed how an infamous incident between the two Germans came about, due to an unfortunate toilet situation at the Monaco Grand Prix.
In her new book, Drive (released 07/05/26, published by Michael O’Mara Books), Brookes explained the situation.
“As a journalist I carry out what I call toilet-run interviews,” Brookes began. “The drivers come off the grid and go to the bathroom before the race start, and I intercept them on the way and ask one or two questions about the race ahead. It still amazes me to this day that they speak to me so close to the race start, but it’s one of the most highly charged moments of the weekend.
“Most tracks have toilet blocks easily accessible to the drivers, some even have toilets within the teams’ garages, but Monaco is a whole different ball game. For the most glamorous and expensive race of the year, it has the fewest toilets. I’ll let Nico explain, speaking here on the Beyond Victory podcast…”
Brookes then included an excerpt from a Rosberg interview: “So this guy, for three years, Mr Mind Games. One example was Monaco qualifying. There’s only one toilet in the garage. So he’s in the toilet, and I go down, and it’s 10 minutes before, and I know that ‘OK, I have my two minutes now for the last pee and then jump in the car and go and qualify’.
“So I knock on the door, because it was locked, and I’m like, ‘Nico, here, let me in.’ No answer, nothing. So I’m knocking, knocking, no answer, nothing. Locked. But I can hear that someone’s in there. So here was Michael leaning against the wall, looking at his watch, and he knew that as long as he made it out with three minutes to go, he could still just about jump in the car, put the seat belt on and go. And I’m outside, full panic mode, and so I went for the oil bucket option in the corner.
“So I managed to do what I needed to do, but the panic had such an impact on my qualifying. These games, all day long.”
