'That’s my job': Pundit defends approach despite drivers keeping distance

After spending around a decade in the competition as a driver, Ralf Schumacher is currently a pundit for Sky Sports Germany, and features in a weekly podcast called Backstage Boxengasse for the German broadcaster.

Speaking to F1-Insider, the former Williams and Toyota driver was asked how the competitor Ralf would get on with the analyst Ralf on TV.

Schumacher began: "Would I have gotten on his nerves? Hell yes!"

The German explained that he had a similar relationship with three-time world champion Niki Lauda.

Sharing an anecdote, he continued: "I also had that kind of love-hate relationship with Niki Lauda. He was always pretty hardline. But then I’d be sitting next to him on a plane in the evening and say: “Hey, you idiot, what was that supposed to be?” And he’d reply: “What do you mean, you idiot?! Drive properly!” — that was just how Niki was."

Schumacher explained that he sees drivers are closer to fellow analyst Timo Glock, but he would not change anything about how he takes on his job.

"Around me, they tend to keep their distance — apart from a few like Charles Leclerc — because they know how I name and judge things. But that’s part of it, that’s my job. I’m not unfair," he concluded.

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